*Info sought on pendency in release of MPLAD funds
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 8: Principal Secretary, Planning and Development Department today pulled up several Deputy Commissioners of Jammu region for their failure to submit details of Special Plan Assistance (SPA) projects within the deadline of November 5, 2013 and gave them last opportunity till tomorrow evening for furnishing requisite information and for removing deficiencies pointed out by the department.
The department has also sought details about pendency in release of MPLAD funds because of non-furnishing of requisite documents/certificates to the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Principal Secretary, Planning and Development Department, B R Sharma, while holding Video-Conferencing on SPA projects issue with the District Development Commissioners of Jammu region, expressed concern over failure of some of the heads of districts in sticking to the deadline of November 5 fixed for submission of SPA projects details.
The deadline for all the DDCs was fixed on October 24 in view of the inordinate delay in uploading information under CAS-MIS system of Planning Commission of India, which has stopped the release of Rs 2064 crore assistance until the J&K Government furnishes Action Plans.
Notwithstanding the claims of two Deputy Commissioners that they have sent the SPA projects details on the prescribed format through the e-mail well within the stipulated time-frame, the Principal Secretary Planning pointed out that details were not received in none of the e-mail IDs of the department, sources said. “Expressing concern over this, the Planning and Development Department directed these DDCs to ensure sending of data on correct e-mail IDs and even furnish hard copies to the department”, they added.
Another Deputy Commissioner sought time of one hour to furnish the information to the department. However, the officer had to face the embarrassment as it was pointed out that if the exercise could not be completed since October 24 how could the officer expect to do so within an hour, sources said.
In case of four districts, the Principal Secretary Planning pointed out some discrepancies in the details furnished by the respective District Development Commissioners and they were asked to carry out necessary corrections, sources said while disclosing that only the SPA details in respect of Jammu, Kathua and Reasi districts were found submitted in time and strictly as per the prescribed format.
Responding to a query, sources said, “now, the DDCs of seven districts have been directed to furnish the details and carry out necessary corrections by tomorrow evening”.
It is pertinent to mention here that Special Plan Assistance reflected under Projectization Head amounting to Rs 2064 crore is one of the main components of the Plan resources for the Annual Plan 2013-14 and the State Government was required to submit the Action Plans under the Web-based programme CAS-MIS for obtaining the release of these funds.
Under SPA major projects like bridges, roads, water supply schemes and building are constructed and these projects are required to be completed in a maximum of two or three years.
The pendency in the release of MPLADS funds due to non-furnishing of the requisite documents by the concerned District Authorities also came up for discussion during the Video-Conferencing.
“The Planning Secretary directed the concerned DDCs to submit details in this regard within next two days positively as the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation will review implementation of MPLAD Scheme on November 20”, sources said.
According to the official information vis-à-vis cumulative utilization of funds under MPLADS as on October 31, 2013, an amount of Rs 105 crore was released in respect of six Lok Sabha constituencies out of which an amount of Rs 70.95 crore was utilized.
Similarly, an amount of Rs 138.50 crore was released for four Rajya Sabha constituencies out of which an amount of Rs 115.20 crore was utilized.
In case of Lok Sabha constituencies, the utilization of MPLAD funds was 67.57% while as in case of Rajya Sabha the same was at 83.18%.
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