Government to have strict monitoring on fun management in Panchayats

TNN | Dec 24, 2017, KOLKATA: The Mamata Banerjee government wants it fast when it comes to rural infrastructure. While releasing additional funds for roads, piped water supply and other utilities in the villages that involves more than one agency, the state specified that expenditure of Rs 25,000 and above be made with the approval of district magistrates and not through the decentralised three-tier service delivery mechanism in rural Bengal.

State officials pointed out that government has disbursed nearly Rs 5013 crore for development work in 3342 gram panchayats. Panchayats under Fourteenth Finance Commission (FFC), State Finance Commission (SFC) and Performance Based Grant (PBG) have been given Rs 1.5 crore each in three instalments. "Our chief minister wanted developmental work under Institutional Gram Panchayat Strengthening Program-II (IGPSP-II) but the progress has not been satisfactory," An officer of finance department said.

"It has been observed during review meetings at state and district levels that the monitoring mechanism gets weak under the gram panchayats and BDOs resulting in public resentment. We have also observed that quality of work has been compromised and in most cases the funds allotted has not been utilized or was minimally utilized. This is creating a bad impression about the government," an officer at the CM's secretariat said.

Under the new work flow, the panchayat will have to take the approval of the work and budget from BDO initially. After the completion of the work, the BDO will verify the status of the work through the monitoring committee comprising block level representatives and mentors of IGPSP-II. The BDO will then send the report to the DM for sanction of funds. The purpose is to expedite implementation of projects and plug leakage as far as possible.