Pala proposes formation of project monitoring committee
New Delhi: Meghalaya government has failed to spend Rs Rs.144.57 crore sanctioned under non- lapsable central pool of resources (NLCPR) to the State.
The amount to more on than one fourth (25.81 per cent) of the total Rs.560.18 crore sanctioned to the Hill State for 61 projects under NLCPR head.
This came to light at the 3rd meeting of the Consultative Committee for the DoNER Ministry held here on Tuesday.
Because of the delay and non submission of the utilization certificates Meghalaya also received only Rs.17.07 during 2015-16 which is least among all the North East states, the figures showed.
The region as a whole was given Rs.5,280.32 crore under the NLCPR for its 713 projects which includes Rs.301.67 crore this fiscal.
Expressing concern over the poor implementation of projects as non-utilization of the Central fund, Union Ministers and MPs cutting across party lines asked the state governments to ensure their speedy completion.
Vincent H. Pala, who represents Shillong in Lok Sabha, while addressing the meeting, proposed constitution of a vigilance and monitoring committee to oversee the timely execution of projects.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker and Tura MP PA Sangma said that the DoNER Ministry and the North Eastern Council (NEC) should not merely act as funding agencies. They should also plan and monitor the projects, he added.
Addressing the meeting, Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region, Jitendra Singh stressed on timely completion of the DoNER projects by the State Governments. “The state governments have a tendency to seek funds for new projects while the ongoing projects remained pending for a long time,” he commented.
Echoing a similar view, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, who participated in the discussion as a special invitee, also made it clear that delay in implementation of projects was unacceptable.
Secretary, DoNER Naveen Verma and Ramnganing Muivah, Secretary, NEC, informed the members that the backlog of projects now ran into more than Rs.2,000 crore.