By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 21: The Opposition UDP said the KHADC may no longer be able to avail the funds earmarked by the 15th Finance Commission as it has failed to comply with various directives of the Centre.
Moving a motion on the style and functioning of the present Executive Committee during the ongoing winter session of the council, Leader of the Opposition Titosstarwell Chyne said many factors may lead to such a situation since the council will require the proposed list of schemes along with the applications from various villages to avail the schemes.
He said the Union Finance Ministry’s Department of Expenditure and the Ministry of Panchayat Raj have directed all the states that payment to the beneficiaries should be made through Public Financial Management System (PFMS) duly integrating with eGramSwaraj applications developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
“I am not sure if the council has been able to implement the PFMS,” he said.
Chyne also said the Centre underscored the need to carry out online audits of the schemes to improve transparency and accountability of the utilisation of the funds.
He further stated the KHADC has not been able to upload its Village Action Plan on the eGramSwaraj portal as the list of villages under its jurisdiction is not reflected in the portal.
The Finance Ministry recently said the matter is yet to be resolved, Chyne said while expressing concern over the names of the towns where the programmes implemented with the funds earmarked by the 15th Finance Commission have been mentioned.
The KHADC’s Chief Executive Member, Pyniaid Sing Syiem said they have not implemented the PMFS since the MDCs already released the schemes funded during 2020-2021 to the beneficiaries manually.
“How are we going to implement the PMFS when the funds have already been released?” he asked.
He said the council has requested the Ministry to exempt it from implementing the PFMS with the funds for 2020-2021 and the first instalment released in 2021-2022.
Syiem said the Ministry of Panchayati Raj responded positively by seeking the details of only the latest schemes yet to be sanctioned and for which the council has the statement of account.
“We have also requested the release of funds for the outstanding schemes of the 15th Finance Commission. We hope to get a positive response from the Ministry of Finance,” he said.
Syiem further said a team of officials from Delhi sent by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj trained the staff of the council’s IT Department on how to use the eGramSwaraj portal.
