State govt in a race against time to wrap up key projects

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government is in a race against time to ensure completion of all the major projects before the state goes to the 2017 assembly elections.

The state government is getting ready to seek the first supplementary demands (first supplementary budget for 2016-2017) to ensure that sufficient funds remain available not only for the ongoing projects, but also for the schemes that the chief minister is announcing now or may put on the priority list at the last minute.

“We have asked all the government departments to submit their proposals -- supplementary demands by July 29. We will seek chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s directions once all the departments submit their proposals,” said principal secretary (finance) Rahul Bhatnagar.

As per the government order (GO) dated July 21, 2016 issued by Bhatnagar, the state government departments have been asked to send proposals for their priority schemes and the state’s share for the centrally sponsored schemes for which funds have been received or would be received from the centre in the coming days.

“Although sufficient funds have been allocated for most of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s ambitious projects, the state government may need additional funds for some ongoing projects and to implement some of his announcements,” said another officer.

The chief minister had recently asked senior officers of the education department to get the tutorials of best teachers recorded and distribute them to all the government educational institutions in rural areas for the benefit of students there. Yadav said arrangement of funds for the scheme would be made in the supplementary budget.

The chief minister has also tasked chief secretary Deepak Singhal with a 51-point programme. Under this programme, the chief secretary is expected to ensure release of funds for chief minister’s announcements about allotment of hand pumps to legislators and Lohia Awas scheme.

“The state government may get the supplementary budget approved during the monsoon session of the state legislature likely to be convened in August 2016,” said the officer.

A close scrutiny of 26 projects being regularly monitored by the project management group (PMG) indicates that most of these projects may be completed before the October 2016 deadline.

Six of the 26 PMG monitored projects, however, have a deadline beyond October 2016. These include Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation’s (UPSIDC) Trans Ganga project that may be completed by November 2016.

The UPSIDCs Saraswati Hitech City is expected to be complete by December 2016 while the work on main carriageway of Lucknow-Agra expressway is expected to be over by October 2016. Lucknow Metro is another important project. It’s first phase is likely to be completed by December 2016. Lion safari work may be wrapped by November 2016.

THE CHIEF MINISTER HAS ALSO TASKED CHIEF SECRETARY DEEPAK SINGHAL WITH A 51-POINT PROGRAMME.