Reports on financial expenditure sought

Patna, May 29 : Bihar Water resources department has issued directives to all the Chief Engineers (CEs) and executive engineers of the department to furnish reports on financial expenditure along with physical achievement every forntight.

In his letter to all CEs, state water resources secretary Hemchand Sirohi observed that the physical achivements did not match with the financial expenditure incurred on implementation of development programmes. The field offficers used to report financial expenditure nil as the payment to executing agencies could be made only after the competent authorities approved the expenditure incurred against the physicial achievement.

During the current financial year, work was going on in different parts of the state in the irrigation sector as well as in the flood zone, under water resources department, but it was often found that during execution of the scheme timely measurement was not taken as a result of the measurement book was not up to date and even after satisfactory works contractors were not paid on time.

As such engineers-in-charge of development schemes had been directed to enter supervision remarks and testing of quality of the works in the measurement books after a week for concrete (pucca) work and after 15 days for earth work (kutcha work). With the implemenation of the new directives, contractors would be able to get payment within 15 days for their satisfactory work.

He said work done should be entered in the report so that both physical and financial progress of the execution of construction work could be reflected clearly. Mr Sirohi said engineers before making payment to contractors, should get themselves satisfied that wages were paid as per rule to every skilled worker and labourer.

The secretary cited an example that during the visit of the chief minister and the departmental minister to inspect the construction of Kamala siphon structure, a component of western Kosi canal project in Madhubani district on April 28, 2006, it was found that neither safety helmet nor gum boots, not even hand gloves were provided to the labourers by the contractor.

Thus the safety points were totally ignored by the local contractor and even site in charge engineers were totally indifferent to it, an act which was a crime under labour laws. He said that it had to be ensured that labour laws as well as government orders for welfare of the labours, women and child were complied with both in letter and spirit at all the work places.

Mr Sirohi has requested all the district magistrates that they should depute the officials of departments of labour,health, welfare and child development and get inquired the labour welfare schemes implementation and take legal steps in case of their violation.

In the same way, different ingredients of environmental and forest department should be co-ordinated in order to work together on environmental preservation and protection. He further said that field engineers should also keep in mind that while formulating any irrigation schemes, some fund should be provided for the local community development works so that active partcipation of the local people and farmers could be ensured.

UNI