Departments to submit monthly spending on RIDF projects

In a bid to effectively monitor the expenditure under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) and improve the quality of spending, the finance department has urged all implementing departments to submit monthly expenditure on RIDF projects from April this year.

The departments are to include the Budget provision for 2012-13, expenditure incurred and claims filed.

At the end of each quarter, review meeting will be held in the second week of the subsequent quarter to discuss the progress of RIDF projects.

Often criticized for its historically low spending levels on projects taken up under RIDF, the state government has proved naysayers wrong, recording expenditure of 81 per cent in 2011-12.

 

Of the total funding of Rs 1,074.41 crore under RIDF assisted by National Bank of Agriculture & Rural Development (Nabard), actual spending in last fiscal stood at Rs 874.50 crore.

Commerce & transport department has achieved utilization of 100 per cent on RIDF projects followed by 99.61 per cent in works department, 89.59 per cent in rural development department and 85.42 per cent in agriculture department. Other concerned departments implementing RIDF projects have recorded expenditure level in the range of 64-80 per cent.

Chief Secretary B K Patnaik who reviewed the projects implemented under RIDF recently, has urged all line departments to have project-wise review and expedite their implementation.

The departments of works, water resources and rural development have been asked to operationalise administration and monitoring of RIDF projects through the e-nirman software.

Recently, the state government has decided to submit a Rs 1,300-crore proposal to Nabard for projects to be taken up under the 18th tranche of RIDF. For the 18th tranche of RIDF, the state government has identified around 25,000 projects for agriculture sector, 139 projects for rural development and 54 projects for works department. It may be noted that the state high powered committee had submitted a total proposal of Rs 5,921.56 crore to Nabard under RIDF in three financial years- 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11.