Utilisation of Central aid better

BHUBANESWAR: Utilisation of Central assistance for implementation of Integrated Action Plan (IAP) in the Left-wing extremist (LWE)-affected districts by the State Government is much better than that many states.  The State has utilised 70 per cent of the Central aid in the 15 LWE-affected districts. The Centre had sanctioned ` 55 crore to each of the 15 LWE-affected districts during the last two financial years. Three new affected districts __ Jajpur, Ganjam and Nayagarh __ were brought under the ambit of IAP in 2011-12. A Special Central Assistance of ` 30 crore was provided to each of the new districts during the last financial year. A recent review of the performance of the 18 districts in the utilisation of the Special Central Assistance by Chief Secretary BK Patnaik revealed that a total of 16,774 projects were taken up under IAP out of which 9,756 projects completed. While majority of them are infrastructure projects, 446 projects are pertaining to  meeting the critical needs of the communities. Of the total projects initiated, 6,618  are connectivity projects, 3,201 school and office buildings-related projects, 1,032 irrigation projects, 3,766 drinking water projects and 1,691 rural electrification projects.  Under IAP, construction of 540 school buildings, 180 hostels for SC and ST students, 1,850 anganwadi centres, 107 primary health centres and 524 other office buildings, 4,223 roads, 1,469 culverts, 289 bridges and 155 cause-ways was completed by the end of the last financial year. According to information provided by the 18 districts, 2,677 tube-wells were sunk, 915 piped water supply schemes, 764 conventional and 927 non-conventional electrification  projects, 628 irrigation and 404 other public infrastructure projects had been created under the action plan. The Chief Secretary advised the district collectors of the IAP districts to take up projects to meet the critical gaps in public infrastructure. Projects for which fund is available under other schemes should not be included in IAP.  The district collectors of the three newly-included districts were asked to utilise the ` 30 crore allotted to them each by end-May.