Review all stalled infrastructure projects, says Captain Amarinder
Sunday, 02/04/2017
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=175402&boxid=59212&uid=&dat=2017-04-02
Chandigarh : Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday directed all the ministers to review status of the stalled infrastructure development projects of their respective departments and submit a report to him within next two weeks.
All members of the council of ministers have been asked by CM to complete the review process and submit their reports within 15 days. Projects approved by the ministers will be referred to the Executive Committee of Punjab Infrastructural Development Board (PIDB) for further action, while cases of suspected irregularities will be sent for investigation.
The decision was taken at a PIDB review meeting, chaired by Captain Amarinder Singh. The meeting was attended, among others by Finance Minister Manpreet Badal, Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and Rural Development Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa.
The Captain led government in its first cabinet meeting decided to hold back the unutilized funds of all departments pending review of the projects for which they had been sanctioned. A total of about Rs 6201.50 crore worth of projects sanctioned by PIDB under the previous regime are now under the scanner. The CM directed the concerned departments to review these projects after fixing priority and to study the tendering process to check if there were any irregularities in their sanction. “In case any irregularity, an inquiry will be ordered into the matter and those guilty of wrongdoings will be brought to book,” stated Captain Amarinder.
He also underlined the need to integrate the available funds with centrally sponsored schemes to fast-track development projects in the state.
The funds that were held back from release pending review related to Urban Mission (Rs 1,267.67 crore), Rural Mission (Rs 167.51 crore), Sewerage & Water Supply under Urban Mission (Rs 2,555.19 crore), Road Sector (Rs 369.48 crore), Rural Water Supply Projects (Rs 242.10 crore) and Funding of CSS/NABARD Schemes etc (Rs 381.06 crore).
Key highlights
A total of Rs 6201.50 crore of projects were halted by government.
The concerned ministers and departments have to submit the report within two weeks.
Available funds will be integrated with centrally sponsored schemes .
