*6 DDCs fail to submit ATR on NABCONS report
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 18: In view of slow utilization of funds under Member Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) in Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation is going to review the implementation of the scheme in a high-level meeting on February 23. Action taken on the reports about the lapses pointed out during the third party physical monitoring of works executed under the scheme would also come up for discussion.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Union Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Dr V K Singh has convened meeting of Nodal Secretaries of Parliament seats of Jammu and Kashmir on February 23 at New Delhi to intensively review implementation aspects and resolve pending issues.
“The review of implementation of the scheme assumes importance in view of slow release and utilization of funds besides huge amount remaining unspent”, sources said in response to a question, adding District Development Commissioners of Jammu, Kathua, Doda, Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag, Pulwama and Leh would attend the meeting.
These District Development Commissioners have been asked by the State’s Planning and Development Department to furnish the requisite reply as per the contents of the agenda points to the Director Area Planning for submission to the Ministry well before the scheduled meeting.
Sources informed that during the meeting the Ministry would review pendency in release of MPLADS funds due to non-furnishing of the requisite documents by the concerned district authorities, slow utilization of funds, closure of accounts, unspent balance of 14th Lok Sabha members and closure of accounts, unspent funds of Rajya Sabha members and completion of work of 15th Lok Sabha MPs and closure of accounts.
“As MPLADS funds release will be made through the new integrated portal of the Union Ministry with effect from April 1, 2015 and the new portal is required to be made fully functional by all the nodal district authorities at the earliest, discussion would also be held in this regard so as to ascertain whether nodal districts have given necessary instructions to the concerned officers in this regard”, sources said, adding discussion on the recent modifications in the guidelines of MPLADS is also on agenda.
In order to ensure quality and timely execution of works under MPLADS, the Union Ministry from the year 2007-08 initiated the exercise of third party physical monitoring of works through NABCONS—a consultancy service of NABARD.
The copy of report of physical monitoring of MPLADS works along with comments of the Ministry was sent to respective district authorities in November 2013 to take corrective action and to submit Action Taken Report (ATR). “However, the requisite replies/Action Taken Report are yet to be received from the authorities of Bandipora, Doda, Poonch, Samba, Leh and Rajouri districts despite repeated reminders”, sources informed.
The District Development Commissioners of these districts have been directed by the Planning and Development Department to furnish reply/ATR at the earliest in order to avoid embarrassment from the Ministry during the review meeting as more than one year has lapsed since the submission of report by the NABCONS, sources said.
As per the data of Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, one installment of MPLADS fund in respect of 15th Lok Sabha for the year 2013-14 is pending as on February 12, 2015. Similarly, six installments of MPLADS fund in respect of 16th Lok Sabha are pending as on February 12, 2015. Likewise, nine installments of MPLADS fund in respect of Rajya Sabha MPs for the years 2012-13, 2013-2014 and 2014-15 respectively are pending as on February 12, 2015.
Against Rs 115 crore released by Government of India under MPLADS for 14th Lok Sabha MPs, an amount of Rs 19.20 crore was lying as unspent as on January 31, 2015. In respect of 16th Lok Sabha MPs, the unspent balance as on January 31, 2015 was Rs 15 crore.
As far as Rajya Sabha MPs are concerned, the unspent balance as on January 31, 2015 was Rs 20.72 crore against an amount of Rs 157 crore released by the Government of India, said the data of Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
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