Kerala   

Grama panchayats ahead in Plan project preparation

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Grama panchayats in the State seem to be much ahead of the block panchayats and municipalities in preparing the Eleventh Plan projects. While 625 out of the 999 grama panchayats have completed data entry of the projects, only 15 blocks and municipalities out of the 152 block panchayats and 53 municipalities have completed the process.

Preparation of projects in the e-format has made decentralised planning transparent and the safeguards in the guidelines are expected to check the diversion of funds. The comprehensive database being prepared as part of the Eleventh Plan will help the formulation of the district plans easy in the coming years.

Official sources told The Hindu that the local self-government institutions (LSGIs) were striving hard to secure the clearances of the technical advisory groups (TAGs) at the earliest so that projects can be submitted for the final approval of the District Planning Committees (DPCs), which are scheduled to begin its sittings for project approval this week itself. During the Tenth Plan period, before clearing the annual Plan in its entirety, DPCs used to accord conditional clearance to select projects. This was mainly owing to the pressure of the civic chiefs. DPCs will not function in an ad hoc manner anymore, sources said.

While executing the projects, the LSGIs used to ignore the conditions laid for clearance and invite the criticism of the local fund audit for flouting norms. In view of the recurrence of such discrepancies in project execution, DPCs have been directed against giving conditional approval to projects, sources said.

While the decentralisation of powers has made the job of an elected member more demanding, the decision to prepare e-format of the Plan projects has made it transparent and the civic chiefs more accountable. Monitoring the funds expended for various projects and sectors at every stage will become an easy task.

Complaints of diversion of funds apportioned for Special Component Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan were aplenty during the previous years. Civic chiefs had diverted the funds allocated for such specific purposes to the general sector and mostly for irrelevant projects at their convenience. The e-format does not offer scope for such diversions since corrective intervention is possible at any stage.

Firm directions have also been given to complete all spill-over projects in the first year itself. Civic chiefs have been told not to take up new road works without completing the repairs of the existing roads. While some of the LSGIs are earnestly trying to complete the spill-over works before taking up the Eleventh Plan projects, some others had decided to shelve such projects. As six instalments of the development fund have been granted to the civic bodies, the planning process will gather momentum from November, sources said.

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