Ghadai peeved over RIDF project delay

Peeved over the inordinately slow pace of execution of projects funded by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), the state finance minister Prafulla C Ghadai has pulled up concerned departments, urging them to expedite such projects.

Of the Rs 1,081 crore disbursed by Nabard under RIDF to the state between 2004-05 and 2010-11, the spending has been only Rs 323 crore till now.

“Only irrigation and agriculture departments have progressed well on RIDF projects. I have asked the remaining seven departments to expedite commissioning of projects. The secretaries of concerned departments have been advised to conduct regular meetings on weekly or monthly basis on status of such projects”, said Ghadai.

It may be noted that out of over 14,000 projects supposed to be executed in the state under RIDF, only 6,000 odd projects have been commissioned. The departments implementing RIDF projects include rural development, works, water resources and fisheries and animal resources development to name a few.

Nabard had recently expressed its deep concern over the inordinate delay in the implementation and expenditure of projects in the state funded by it under RIDF. Venting its discontent over the sluggish pace of project execution, Nabard had categorically stated that the extended project period of RIDF-XI will be terminated with effect from December 31 this year and that of RIDF-XII to XIV from March 31, 2012.