70% Bundelkhand fund not utilised

As the departments started doing their own review of the projects,it was found that the total expenditure has been a mere 30 per cent of the allocated funds. While departments such as forest and rural development have managed to cross the mandatory 55 per cent mark,others like minor irrigation,watershed development and animal husbandry have been able to spend only 1 to 3 per cent of the fund. The technical expert of the Planning Commission,Dr K D Sharma,who reviewed the projects during his visit between March 21 to 25,had remarked that the progress of some of the departments has been very slow.

A senior official from Lalitpur district,which has been the worst performer,on condition of anonymity said,“We have no answers. The progress of departments such as animal husbandry has been very poor. They were supposed to create group and start of the community cattle rearing programme,but in many blocks,even the groups have not been identified. This has delayed the purchase of animals which has left the fund unutilised.”

An official from the minor irrigation department of Jhansi division said,“Initially,there was a delay in sending proposals,followed by a delay in release of funds. Then,monsoons and panchayat elections further delayed the projects. Since most of the works had to be done under NREGS,we had a difficult time in finding labourers in the harvesting season.”

Lalitpur got Rs 75.51 crore for minor irrigation,out of which it has spent only Rs 46 lakh. The irrigation department got Rs 13.60 crore,out of which only Rs 4.80 crore has been spent. The animal husbandry was given Rs 2.95 crore,of which barely Rs 59 lakh has been spent. The dairy development department was given Rs 3.19 crore,out of which Rs 1 crore has been spent. The forest department,which has been amongst the best performers,managed to spend Rs 11.02 crore out of the allocated Rs 12.22 crore.

The commissioner Jhansi division,S N Shukla,admitted that several problems had delayed the works but the departments have now been asked to expedite the projects.