Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 08 2008:
Even though the Planning Commission has increased the Plan amount of the State for the current fiscal year by Rs 96.91 crores and fixed it at Rs 1702.91 crores, the State Government has been able to utilise only 7.65 percent of the amount so far.
Expressing serious concern over the matter, Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh has issued necessary instructions to all the Ministers and officials concerned of all the Departments to ensure proper and adequate utilisation of the fund before the upcoming Parliament election.
The low rate of utilising the Plan amount came to light during a review meeting of the Plan expenditure presided over by Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh this afternoon.
The meeting was attended by Ministers, Commissioners, Secretaries and Heads of Departments concerned.
According to an official source, the Plan amount of the State for the current fiscal year had been originally fixed at Rs 1660 crores but was subsequently increased to Rs 1702.92 crores after revision by the Planning Commission.
However, it was detected during the meeting today that only around Rs 130 crores have been utilised till September this year.
Nonetheless, since today's meeting had been convened all of a sudden and many of the Departments could not prepare their statement in time, the total Plan expenditure may be around 20 percent, the source added.
Delay in using the allocated Plan amount of the current year by some of the Engineering Departments like Works, Power, PHED which have been using from the remaining Plan amount of the last fiscal year in the Government account, delay in releasing the fund under the SPA in previous fiscal years as well as in inviting tender of various projects and inability carrying out works during rainy season from May to September, etc are some of the main reasons for the low utilisation rate of the Plan amount, the source contended , adding that out of the total Special Plan Assistance fund of Rs 550 crores for the current fiscal year, 70 percent of Rs 337.45 crores, i.e.Rs 236.21 had been released by the Planning Commission last month.
From the remaining fund of the SPA, the Planning Commission has also given approval in-principle for releasing Rs 35 crores in connection with setting up JN Institute of Medical Sciences, Rs 25 crores for LDA as well as for other projects during a meeting held at New Delhi on September 29 last, the source disclosed.
During the today's meeting, the Chief Minister had also given instructions to the officials of the Finance Department to study proposals submitted by various Departments and release their fund in time.
With Parliament election round the corner, the Chief Minister also instructed the Ministers and officials concerned to ensure completion of tender/PIB process and site selection at the earliest possible so as to cleared and utilise the required fund before the election.
Chief Minister had also given necessary instructions to all the Departments to start making necessary process for preparing proposals for the next fiscal year from now on.
After the meeting, the Chief Minister also held a joint meeting with the Minister and some selected senior officials to discuss the issue of slow rate of utilising the Plan amount of the State.