Centre raps Odisha govt for failing to utilise funds under agri sector

BHUBANESWAR: Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Saturday expressed unhappiness over the tardy progress in spending the allocated funds under various schemes for the agriculture sector.

Singh said the funds allocated were not spent properly, and the government also failed to expedite spending of the allocations made under various agriculture development schemes to the state.

Holding a review meeting over the implementation of central schemes with state government officials, the minister asked the state government officials to spend the allocations in time.

Odisha has lost Rs.50 crore as funds from the Centre due to failure in submitting the detailed project report (DPR) for the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), said official sources.

They said expenditure on schemes like the Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana, Soil Health Card scheme, national mission on micro irrigation, rainfed area development scheme and national horticulture mission is tardy.

However, Odisha Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy assured that the remaining funds allocated by the Centre would be spent by March-end.

He said the state has already spent about 70-80 percent of the central funds while the balance will be utilised by March-end and the utilisation certificate will be submitted in the due course of time.

As the state loses Rs.50 crore under PMKSY, Maharathy attributed the loss of funds to the late arrival of guidelines of the scheme.