BIDAR: Some Congress leaders in Bidar district have criticised the slow pace of implementation of the Rashtriya Sam Vikas Yojana, a Centrally aided scheme to redress regional imbalances.

Lethargy on part of the officials and lack of coordination among MLAs and zilla panchayat members is delaying the progress of the scheme, Qazi Arshad Ali, MLC, and others alleged in a memorandum to the Government.

The Centre releases Rs. 45 crores over three years under the scheme. The funds are released in six half-yearly instalments of Rs 7.5 crores each. Each instalment is released after the earlier instalment is fully utilised and a utilisation certificate submitted. But the zilla panchayat, which is the implementing agency, has not been able to spend the first instalment of Rs 7.5 crores even after one year, the memorandum said.

Lack of clarity in the scheme's guidelines has led to differences among MLAs and zilla panchayat members over the appointment of contracting agencies for taking up civil works, it said.

The scheme aims to fill infrastructural gaps in the most backward districts in the country and bring development levels to the national and State average in various fields. Bidar is one of the five districts in the State selected under the scheme.

Mr. Ali has urged the Minister for Rural Development, H.C. Mahadevappa, to ensure the speedy implementation of the scheme within the stipulated time.

"Figures reveal that only Rs. 4 crores has been spent till now. If the same situation continues, then the completion of the scheme will take more than 10 years. The unused grants will lapse and development work in Bidar will suffer," Mr. Ali said in the letter. He expressed fears that the scheme may be discontinued. He said that the confusion in the guidelines should be clarified and an inquiry initiated against officials responsible for the delay in its implementation.

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