Bihar govt not "properly" implementing central schemes: Naidu

Patna, Aug 28: Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today criticised Bihar government for not "properly" implementing Central schemes and said it has not sent utilisation certificate for funds released to it nor requested for a second instalment.

Naidu said in the progress of Rajiv Awas Yojana, the Bihar government achievement was "nil". Against the approval of 11,276 units in 2013-14, for which the Centre had approved Rs 297.72 crore and released Rs 114.51 crore not a single unit has been built so far, which was "unfortunate".

Referring to the Housing for All scheme, Naidu said the Centre had signed an memorandum of agreement with Bihar on August 14 and made an indicative allocation of Rs 87.46 crore for 2015-16, but the state government has not sent the name of cities for inclusion under it.

The Union Urban Development Minister said for Swachh Bharat Mission out of the total Central outlay of Rs 405.84 crore for Bihar, Rs 37.72 crore was released for 2014-15 for various components under the mission but the state government has not sent the utilisation certificate. Nor has the state government requested for second instalment for the programme as yet, Naidu told reporters.

Elaborating, he said under the Mission, Bihar government was given a target for construction of 5,47,256 individual household toilets, 17,412 community toilets, 9026 public toilets and solid waste management in 139 towns for 4200 wards against which no individual toilet has been constructed though 80,000 applications had been received by the state government.

Also not a single community or public toilet has been constructed though 62 have been identified or sanctioned by the state government so far, he said adding with regard to solid waste management 192 wards have 100 per cent door-to-door collection, but there was no facility for processing of solid waste.

On the status of JNNURM in Bihar, he said only 10,033 dwelling units have been constructed out of a targetted 29,103 units in 2014-15.

About progress of National Urban Livelihood Mission in Bihar, Naidu said the Centre had allocated Rs 45.18 crore to Bihar for 2014-15 but had not released any money as the state government had failed to send utilisation certificate for funds released in 2013-14.

PTI