Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 19: In order to obtain exact feedback about the status of the infrastructural projects, the Planning and Development Department has set an exercise in motion for the physical verification and monitoring of such projects on random basis across the State. Under the exercise, launched for the first time in the State, the projects/schemes involving more than Rs 1 crore of the State Sector and Rs 20 lakh of the District Sector, will be covered.
“At present, the projects involving Rs 10 crore and above are being examined by the Monitoring Cell of the Chief Minister while as other projects both under the State and District Sectors are being monitored at the level of Administrative Secretaries/HoDs/Deputy Commissioners”, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
Now, the Principal Secretary, Planning and Development Department, B R Sharma has found it appropriate to get the physical verification and monitoring of infrastructural projects taken up under State/District Sector/Centrally Sponsored Schemes under projectized mode, NABARD and other institutional financing conducted by the Directors/Joint Directors (Planning) of the Administrative Departments, Regional Joint Directors (P&S), Chief Planning Officers, District Statistical Evaluation Officers and Additional District Development Commissioners of the districts, they informed.
As per the mechanism laid down for the physical verification of the projects/schemes involving more than Rs 1 crore of the State Sector and Rs 20 lakh of the District Sector, Planning and Development Department will be the Nodal Department through Director PA&PM and all the instructions, clarifications and modifications will flow from the Department.
Responding to a question, sources said, “this mechanism would go a long way in ensuring required focus on the already taken up infrastructure projects especially when the Government has decided to start creation of new infrastructure across the State during the remaining part of its term”.
“This step would also be of immense help in ensuring that no hurdle crops up in the smooth execution of the projects. Moreover, the performance of the projects executing agencies, flow of funds and quality of work would get closely monitored”, sources said while pointing towards the format prepared by the Planning Department to obtain general overview of the project/scheme.
Pointing towards the general complaints about prolonged delay in release of compensation amount, sources said, “this mechanism would timely bring to the fore whether any person has been deprived of compensation for land or structure and help the Planning Department in issuing timely instructions”, adding “there is also a provision in the mechanism to ascertain whether the project was started keeping in view the area specific need or on the request of the public representatives”.
They disclosed that Planning and Development Department will assign 2 to 4 projects on monthly basis to the concerned for physical verification on random basis from the list of works under Projectized/CCS/Negotiated Loan Scheme etc. The Nodal Officer will convene monthly/quarterly meetings for inputs about field verification reports and make a presentation in respect of projects monitored in the quarterly meeting. Moreover, the Core Computer Centre of the Planning and Development Department will upload all the physical verification reports on the official website at the end of each month.
Disclosing that all the Administrative Departments and District Development Commissioners have been asked to provide the details of the projects of 2012-13 fiscal to the Planning and Development Department, sources said, “the officers entrusted with the assignment of physical verification of the projects will submit the reports of at least 2 to 4 projects on monthly basis”.
The physical verification report will contain the information vis-à-vis adherence of formalities like technical sanction, availability of land and other clearances, feedback of locals about the desirability/quality of the project, physical progress commensurating with the expenditure and physical status of the works with photographs etc, sources said.
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