By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun 10 July: Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh has given instructions to expedite the implementation of externally aided projects in the state. He said new projects could only be approved by the agencies concerned if the projects underway were completed on time. He has also directed that all the difficulties faced in the implementation of projects be resolved in a time-bound manner.
While reviewing the externally aided projects related to various departments in the Chief Secretary’s Auditorium on Friday, Singh said that all the concerned departments ought to try harder to complete them by paying special attention to the projects under operation. Expressing satisfaction with the pace of work done related to decentralised Watershed Development Project, rehabilitation projects with respect to the dams, Integrated Livelihood Improvement, Forest Management and Infrastructure Development and Investment Programme for Tourism, he said that other departments ought to speed up the pace of the progress in their projects.
It was disclosed at the meeting that 10 projects costing an amount of Rs 6818.68 crores were underway under the externally aided projects scheme concerning various departments of the state. Compared to the targeted reimbursement of Rs2257.30 crores related to the projects being run by the Forest, Livelihoods Mission, Watershed Development, Disaster Management, Energy, Drinking Water, Finance, Tourism, Skill Development and Medical Health Departments, the actual reimbursement had been to the tune of Rs 1724.92 crores only till the end of last year, it was stated.
It was also disclosed that various new proposals to the tune of Rs 12906 crores had been submitted for various projects related to Horticulture, Drinking Water, Urban Development, MSME, Irrigation, Tourism and Public Works Department and that they had already been recommended at the level of Ministry of Finance, Government of India . These projects were with the funding agencies for final approval and disbursement.
The Chief Secretary said that along with expeditious implementation of projects, concerted efforts also needed to be made to pursue the targets of reimbursement of funds according to progress of the projects. He also directed that Secretaries in charge of various departments regularly review the progress of the schemes.
The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary Manisha Panwar, Principal Secretary Anand Vardhan, Secretary, Finance, Amit Negi, Secretary, Tourism, Dilip Javalkar, Secretaries Saujanya, Ranjit Sinha, SA Murugeshan, Additional Secretary, Planning, Major Yogendra Yadav, Additional Secretaries Sonika, Amita Joshi and Uday Raj Singh.
