Tehri CDO directs officials to utilise allocated funds

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, February 13

Tehri Chief Development Officer (CDO) Ahmed Iqbal today directed various departments to ensure that funds released for various works were utilised in the current year. He gave the direction at a meeting at New Tehri organised to review the functioning of various departments involved in construction projects in the district. Iqbal was livid at an officer absent from the meeting and gave directions for an explanation from him.

The officials informed the CDO that only Rs 37.35 crore (57.41%) out of Rs 65.06 crore released under the district plan had been utilised. Under the state sector plan, only Rs 128.58 crore (66.31%) out of 193.90 crore released to the district had been utlised. Under centrally-aided schemes, Rs 294.79 crore was sanctioned and out of which Rs 241.61 crore (81.96%) had been utilised.

Around Rs 19.82 crore (69.09%) of Rs 28.69 crore released had been utilised for externally-aided projects. The Public Works Department (PWD) utilised Rs 4.50 crore of the Rs 9.72 crore released until January.

The CDO directed the officials from horticulture and agriculture departments to create a storage centre for cereals and formulate a policy for selling cereals through various self-help groups and cooperatives in the district so that farmers could get a remunerative price for their produce. He directed the District Education Officer to review the work of 22 under-construction school buildings form time to time. He directed the Youth Development Department to speed up the work on sports stadiums in various schools in the district.