Fund paucity hampering rural projects: Byaling

Itanagar, Jan 25 (UNI) Arunahcal Pradesh Rural Development Department minister Tanga Byaling has admitted fund crunch and said many Centrally sponsored schemes could not be taken up due to failure to meet matrhcing share.

He said this while addressing the quarterly performance review meeting of RD programmes for the third quarter ending December last.

With the parking of its funds in defunct Arunachal Pradesh State Cooperative Apex Bank and the above liabilities, the department has been facing acute problem in implementing and submitting utilization certificate to the Centre for getting next dose of fund, he informed the two-day meeting that concluded here yesterday.

While expressing satisfaction over the quarter-end performance of district rural development agencies (DRDAs), Mrt Byaling exhorted the project directors (PDs) to complete targeted assignments on time and announced to introduce annual award for best performing DRDA.

Suggesting special projects for income and employment generation, RD secretary B S Banerjee told the PDs to aim at benefitting the rural masses. A model village in each block should be selected for all round developed by pulling in resources from available resources, he added.

RD director S K Singh informed the funds available for various schemes and spent during the quarter. He said of the Rs 292.49 lakh for SGSY, Rs. 125.22 lakh was spent with an achievement of 43 per cent; of the Rs 1490.35 lakh for SGRY, Rs 819.65 lakh spent (achievement 55%); of the Rs 1124.89 lakh for IAY, Rs 784 lakh spent (achievement 75%).

With a target of 127 schemes covering an area of 3,49,971 hectares out of total waste land of 18,17,595 hactres at an estimated cost of Rs. 20,998.26 lakhs under Hariyali scheme, the funds available was Rs. 2673.34 lakh, he said, adding Rs. 1153.76 lakh was spent (achievement 43%).

Highlighting physical achievement of the quarter-ending, Singh said that 69 self-help groups were formed against a target of 89, while 148 individuals were assisted against a target of 1,421 under Swarna Gramin Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY). A total 9.06 lakh mandays generated against a target of 20.4 mandays and total 2794 houses built under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) against a target of 4939.

UNI