Orissa government introduces ECS

Bhubaneswar,July 3 (UNI) The Orissa government today introduced the Electronic Clearing System(ECS) and National Electronic Fund Transfer facility (NEFT)for payment to PMGSY contrctors.

Inaugurating the Electronic Grievance Redressal System, e-procurement-PMGSY tenders, ECS and NEFT facility, Rural Development Minister B B Harichandan said the system would help to maintain transparency and utilise the fund expeditiously.

Mr Harichandan said the ECS and NEFT policy was introduced in Cuttack and Khurda district on pilot basis and would be extended to other districts by the end of this month.

He said with effect from July one all PMGSY works, including works with cost more than Rs 50 lakh in water resources, rural development, works and housing and urban Development department would be finalised through e-procurement. Mr Harichandan said the government planned to lower it to Rs 10 lakh by the end of October.

The government hosted PMGSY tenders worth Rs 877 crore on e-procurement for the first time today after the introduction of the system since July 1.

The Minister said till date out of Rs 6015.37 crore sanctioned under PMGSY, the state government had received Rs 2351.48 crore of which Rs 2313.72 crore amounting to 98.39 per cent had been utilised.

He dismissed Union Minister V Narayan Swami's allegation that the funds released under the PMGSY scheme was not utilised in the state.

In its bid to bring the government closer to the people, the rural development department had started an electronic grievance redressal system called 'sanjog'for drinking water supply and health and rural development.

UNI BD ADG /src1857