Imphal, December 04 2009: The North Eastern Council (NEC) has stopped sanction of new schemes and released of funds to Manipur for failing to submit utilization certificates.

Government is efforting to expedite implementation of ongoing schemes.

No fund has so far been released for ongoing schemes apart from no new scheme sanctioned by the NEC to the state.

NEC has releases Rs 27.78 crores against which Rs 27.33 crore has been utilized as per reports furnished by the implementing departments, official source said today.

However, state planning department reports, there is an unspent amount of Rs 11.90 crore.

Out of this, with Rs 668.99 lakh unspent amount is with Public Works Department (PWD).

Health and Family Welfare Department with Rs 228.85 lakh in the second position while with an unspent amount of Rs 224.45 lakh, state power department is in the third position among the departments having huge chunk of unspent amount.

Irrigation and Flood Control Department (IFCD) is yet to spent Rs 3.64 lakh, Rs 28.14 lakh pending with Youth Affairs and Sports, Rs 14.13 with agriculture department and Rs 22.34 lakh with higher education department.

The seven departments listed above to expedite implementation of schemes and furnish updated utilization certificates and progress reports to the state planning department for onward submission of pending utilization certificates along with the progress reports.

A meeting recently held under the state of the chief secretary PD Poonia discussed on the progress of implementation and fund utilization positions of the schemes taken up under the funding of the NEC.

In the meeting, he had advised the state health department to submit revised Draft Project Report (DPR) and clarification sought by the NEC regarding upgradation of Government School of Nursing to College of Nursing which construction works under process.

Power department was advised to submit alternative proposal for renovation and modernization of 132/33 KV sub-station at Yurembam which had been sanctioned by NEC in 2006-07, but now taken up under Special Plan Assistant (SPA).

The renovation and modernization work of the sub-station at Yurembam could not be started till date as residents of the surrounding area strongly protest against acquisition of land require for expansion.

State finance department has also been asked to release funds for the health department (Rs 203.85 lakh) and YAS department (Rs 1.86 lakhs), so that next installment of funds from NEC could be availed of, the source maintained.

The North Eastern Council is the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the North Eastern Region and funding to various developmental schemes and projects in the region.

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