BHUBANESWAR: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has pulled up the State Government for failing to achieve desired result in its special area development initiative under Biju Kandhamal O Gajapati Yojana (BKGY).
Misplaced priority in selection of projects, non-involvement of people in formulation, implementation and monitoring of programmes and diversion of funds to non-BKGY activities have defeated the purpose for which the special plan was devised.
BKGY aims at focusing on five core sectors - rural electrification, construction of all-weather roads, livelihood initiatives and social security net for physically challenged, orphans and the destitute.
Of 3,870 villages in the tribal-dominated Kandhamal and Gajapati districts, 732 were not covered under Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyutkaran Yojana (RGGVY) or Biju Gram Jyoti Yojana (BGJY) till August, 2013.
BKGY was launched in 2009-10 with `1.5 crore special assistance for each block (Kandhamal 12 blocks and Gajapati seven blocks) per annum. Even after six years of launching of the special initiative, all the 732 villages remained unelectrified due to non-prioritisation of projects under rural electrification, said the CAG report on General and Social Sector for year ended March, 2015.
On the other hand, the district authorities approved low value projects like internal wiring of schools and gram panchayat offices, street light and purchase of air-conditioners for Seva Kendras.
The audit detected that 63 villages of the two districts which were not covered under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) are still without proper road connectivity. However, funds amounting to `62.71 crore were sanctioned for construction of cross drainage and improvement of PMGSY roads.
Government intervention under rural water supply scheme was found to be inadequate in 3,827 villages which were partially covered due to non-functioning of tube wells.
The premier audit agency said Kandhamal district administration has not taken any initiative for livelihood support of the marginalised.
Though projects worth `7.48 crore were included in the annual action plan of Gajapati district during 2011-15, an amount of `4.16 crore was released to one agency. The executing agency had utilised only `51.20 lakh (12 per cent) as of December, 2015.
The livelihood initiatives included support for sustainable income and employment generating activities, development of livelihood sectors and self help groups (SHGs).
“The reason for low utilisation of fund was due to indecisiveness of the district Collector in selection of works to be taken up under the sector,” said the report which was tabled in the Assembly on Monday.
The State Government had released `114 crore to the two districts during 2011 and 2015 for 2,289 projects. By the end of March, 2015, 1,410 projects were completed with an expenditure of `63.37 crore.