PWD, IPH Dept face 25% cut in spending this year

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, April 13

Facing a financial crisis, the state government seems to have effectively imposed a cut of about 25 per cent on the state funds allocated to the PWD and the IPH Department.

Highly placed sources told The Tribune that both these departments had not received the allocated budget for the last quarter of the previous financial year, which was to be released by March 31 this year.

A senior official said since the allocation for the last quarter of the previous financial year had not been released by the government, the liabilities of previous year had been carried forward to the current financial year.

The government has not increased the budget allocation for the PWD and the IPH Department for the current year. Since the liabilities of the previous year have been carried forward to the current year, there will be a cut in spending from the state-allocated budget this year in case of the PWD and IPH Department.

This would hit repair and maintenance works in the two departments, officials said. The IPH Department works likely to be hit include repair and maintenance of existing water supply and irrigation schemes, repair of irrigation kuhls.

The PWD works likely to be hit include the repair and maintenance of state highways and rural roads that are not covered under the central schemes. The total cut in spending for the two departments across the state could be around Rs 100 crore each.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, meanwhile, said that he had requested CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to release the state budget for the last quarter of the previous financial year. “The CM has assured to release the budget,” he said.

PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh was not available for comments despite repeated calls and messages on his phone.

Works likely to be hit

• IPH Department: Repair and maintenance of existing water supply and irrigation schemes, repair of irrigation kuhls, new water schemes
• PWD: Repair and maintenance of state highways and rural roads not covered under the central schemes

The assurance

According to Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri, he has requested CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to release the state budget for the last quarter of the previous financial year. “The CM has assured to release the budget,” he said