Friday, 21 April 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Panchayati Raj minister Satpal Maharaj has once again warned the Panchayat officers and public representatives of all districts that they will face action if they fail to spend the funds received under the 15th finance commission. Those who are spending the funds will be awarded, he said. The minister said this while chairing a review meeting at the Panchayat directorate here on Thursday.
Expressing concern at 15th finance commission funds not being spent, the minister issued a warning to the officers of the block, district and Gram Panchayats. Action will be taken against those officials and public representatives who are not spending the funds despite being told to do so repeatedly, he warned.
Maharaj said that the government is bound to ensure that the spending on development works is cent per cent so that utilisation certificates can be provided to the Central government and more funds can be received for the development of the State. He expressed dissatisfaction at the failure to spend money in the untied fund under 15th finance commission for sanitation in Panchayats, drinking water supply and rain water harvesting along with tied funds, stressing that the same should be spent fully on time. He pulled up officials of the district Panchayats of Nainital, Rudrapayag, block Panchayats of Almora, Chamoli, Nainital, Pauri, Rudraprayag, Tehri and the Gram Panchayats of Champawat districts for landing in the red zone for not spending the tied fund amount.
Officials of the Haridwar and Rudraprayag district Panchayats along with block Panchayats in Nainital and Rudraprayag for landing in the red zone for not being able to spend untied fund amount. The minister stressed that chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also wants the funds to be spent completely as there is no dearth of funds for development works. He warned of action against the officials and Panchayat representatives concerned if the remaining tied fund amount of Rs 238 and untied fund amount of Rs 129 crore is not spent, while stressing that the quality of works should be ensured.
