Fund crunch grounds 60 projects

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 18

Nearly 60 development projects of various government departments are stuck up for the want of funds, running over Rs 400 crore.

The work on these projects, including the construction of buildings for schools, colleges and hospitals, which was initiated by the previous SAD-BJP regime, is pending since April last year. The PWD is executing most of these projects.

In many cases, just about 10-30 per cent of the work is incomplete, but non-availability of funds has led to the suspension of work. In one such case, 10 per cent work on Revenue Department’s district administrative complexes at Kapurthala and Nawanshahr is pending since August last year for the want of Rs 14 crore.

Similarly, 20 per cent renovation work at Government Medical College, Amritsar, is held up since April last year, awaiting release of Rs 15 crore.

The Technical Education and Industrial Training Department has to pay Rs 1.44 crore against the construction of seven new government polytechnics completed in 2012. Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said he was taking up the matter with the Finance Department.

To complete 40 per cent work of Central Sudhar Ghar at Goindwal Sahib, the Jail Department has not been able to release Rs 87 crore since April last year.

Sources in the CMO said the status report of all projects was being taken up with the respective departments. The matter had also been brought to the notice of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, they said.

Finding a way out

The previous SAD-BJP government started projects without making budgetary provisions for the same. The Congress government is committed to completing all projects. We have requested the Finance Department to allocate the required funds. — Vijay Inder Singla, PWD Minister