Border area projects to start soon: Rymbui

SHILLONG, Sep 30: Various border area development projects are expected to start soon in view of the improved COVID-19 situation in Meghalaya, Minister for Border Areas Development, Lakhmen Rymbui, said on Thursday.
These projects are sanctioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
“The working season will start now and the labourers will start coming now. I hope we will be able to complete these projects within a short period of time and submit utilisation certificates so that the funds can be released from the government,” Rymbui said.
The Opposition Congress had, during the Assembly session, slammed the government for the inadequacies in the Border Areas Development department, resulting in the state losing out on the sanctioned amount for the projects.
“Many projects got delayed during the last two years due to the COVID constraints. I hope we will complete the projects soon and get our entitlement,” he said.
Rymbui clarified that the implementation of the public financial management system has made it difficult to make payment until a project is completed. “Once you pay the full amount (under the online system), a project is deemed to be completed,” he said.
Mawsynram MLA, H.M. Shangpliang had, during the autumn session of the Assembly, pointed out that the state did not get a single border area project for 2020-2021 as it could not spend Rs 31.06-crore from the total amount sanctioned for various border projects earlier.