The Hindu : National : Make proper district plans, panchayats told

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Sunday, Oct 14, 2007
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National

Make proper district plans, panchayats told

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Union Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar has expressed concern over the inability of the panchayats to utilise funds earmarked for them due to non-availability of district plans.

Speaking at a two-day national conference on “District Planning under Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF)” here on Saturday, Mr. Aiyar said that of the Rs. 4,000 crore earmarked for the panchayats this year, only Rs. 222 crore was disbursed as they could not meet the criterion required to utilise these funds, which included formulation of proper district plans. Of the 250 districts covered under the BRGF, only 53 had district plans and only 31 met the eligibility criteria and conformed to the guidelines.

Keeping in mind the low disbursement of funds, the Ministry decided to make available funds in the current financial year for construction of panchayat ghar, anganwadi centres, educational activities and sports facilities, kitchens for mid-day meal schemes, housing for the poor and for overcoming the shortage of staff.

But, Mr. Aiyar said, this exemption was only for 2007-08.

He appealed to the participants to set up the District Planning Committees and stressed the need to make proper district plans.

There were no DPCs now in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra.

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