Maharaj directs action against those responsible for failure to spend Panchayat funds
Wednesday, 12 April 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The State’s Panchayati Raj minister Satpal Maharaj said that action will be taken against public representatives and officials responsible if the funds of district, block and Gram Panchayats are not spent. He said that such Gram, block and district Panchayats will be marked which are not performing well and necessary action will be taken. The minister said this while chairing a meeting to review preparations for a national meet on Panchayats to be held in the national Capital on April 17. He said that action should be taken to choose a village for chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to preside over a cabinet meeting there and strict action should be taken in cases of corruption which have come to light in district Panchayats.
Panchayat officials informed the minister that following the decision taken in the last meeting to establish a call centre in the Panchayati Raj directorate and issue a WhatsApp number, the call centre will be established in the directorate by May 1 this year. The minister said that the Panchayats should prepare work plans to increase their revenue. He expressed dissatisfaction at the funds received from the 15th finance commission for sanitation and drinking water in the Gram, block and district Panchayats not being used by 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23. He said that action will be taken against the public representatives and officials responsible in case the funds allocated to the Gram, block and district Panchayats are not utilised. Maharaj further directed that out of the 15th finance commission funds for Panchayats in 13 districts, only 63.07 crore were spent out of Rs 81.29 crore in district Panchayats, Rs 315.36 crore were spent out of Rs 402.72 crore in Gram Panchayats and Rs 34.70 crore were spent out of Rs 54.20 crore in block Panchayats, adding that strict action should be taken against the persons responsible. Apart from this, the Gram, block and district Panchayats which are doing good work will be awarded, added the minister.
