Is Veterinary Department set to abolish RKVY Scheme ?
Rs 50 lakh for supplying piglets gone into thin air
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 18 2012:
Some officials who were holding top posts in the Veterinary Department of Manipur at one time have allegedly paved the way for abolition of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana (RKVY) Scheme in the state, which is being implemented under Union Agriculture Ministry with the stated objective of ensuring self-employment among unemployed people to augment their income.
A highly placed source revealed that the an amount of Rs 50 lakhs, which was meant for supplying piglets to 299 beneficiaries under RKVY for the year 2009-10 had been sanctioned to the State Veterinary Department.
But no supply of piglets has been made to the beneficiaries so far and there is strong apprehension that the fund sanctioned may have gone in the pockets of the few top officials of the department.
The source disclosed that in early part of fiscal year, 2009-2010, a meeting was held in connection with implementation of RKVY scheme in the state with then Principal Secretary, IS Laishram in the chair.
The meeting was also attended by Director, Th Rajen, Joint Director (Administration), Dr L Saratkumar and Deputy Director Dr H Chaoba.
The said meeting discussed matter related to sanctioning of Rs 1 crore by the State Agriculture Department to the Veterinary Department for implementation of RKVY Scheme.
On the basis of the sanctioned amount, the piggery development programme was prepared under three components.
An amount of Rs 50 lakhs was allotted for construction of the Tarungpokpi Piggery farm, where 50 piglets could accommodate.
Another Rs 35.02 lakhs was assigned for beneficiary oriented scheme for piggery development while the remaining Rs 18.98 was allotted for fodder development, the source informed.
The source further disclosed that from the Rs 50 lakhs allotted for construction of the piggery farm at Tarungpokpi, an amount of Rs 45.70 lakhs was deposited in the Manipur Tribal Development Corporation, after deducting the Value Added Tax (VAT) and wages for labourers.
As per the guidelines of the scheme, all the selected beneficiaries were supposed to be given 3 female and one male piglet each in addition to an amount of Rs 8500.Other requirements were to be borne by the beneficiaries themselves.
Under the fodder development component, 50 percent of the total required fund is to be provided from the side of the state government while the remaining 50 percent arranged by the beneficiaries themselves.
After the total amount of the fund required for implementation of the scheme had been finalized for sanctioning, the list of selected beneficiaries too had been drastically reduced to 299 from the earlier 412.Although the said amount had been withdrawn, none of the beneficiary have received any fund nor any piglets, the source added.
It is said that the matter has been already brought to the notice of Ministry concerned.
But no action has been taken in this regard.
Meanwhile, fund for the scheme for the period 2010-11 has also been sanctioned and process for selection of beneficiaries is underway.
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