Wary Dispur holds up yet-to-begin projects

WILL CENTRAL FUNDS MATERIALIZE?

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, July 11: Scrambling to tackle an acute fincial crisis, the State’s Fince department has asked administrative departments not to roll out any scheme envisaged under the 2015-16 Plan fund which are yet to be started.

Official sources said works under the 2015-16 Plan fund amounting to Rs 4,500 crore have been already initiated. But projects to the tune of around Rs 4,000 crore are yet to be taken up. The Fince department has asked the administrative departments not to take up the yet-to-be-started projects “until further orders.”

Earlier, in a White Paper, the new government had stated it has inherited liabilities of around Rs 10,000 crore from its predecessor.

Later, however, Fince minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the liabilities could be about Rs 12,000 crore and that a fresh assessment is required. He said a revised White Paper on the status of the State finces will be tabled during the budget session beginning July 18 next.

Dispur is also not sure about the amount of Plan funds that will be sanctioned by the Central government. The uncertainty over Central funds has been there ever since the formation of the NITI-Aayog.

“That is why Dispur is not taking chances. Once any project starts, the government will have to release the funds, even if it is from its own resources” said a source.

The order of the Fince department has put the administrative departments in a fix.

The departments have already given administrative approval for a number of new schemes. In fact, some departments have already allotted the works after calling tenders.