Fund mismanagement hits development of 6 north Bengal districts

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Inefficient financial management and lack of a perspective plan have taken a huge toll on the West Bengal government’s plan for integrated development of six districts in north Bengal. As a result, 44% of the Rs 166.67 crore with the Uttarbanga Unnayan Parshad (UUP), meant for socio-economic development of the most disadvantaged region of north Bengal during 2006-07, was lying in local funds or personal ledger accounts of district magistrates, according to a recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.

That’s not all. Of the 1,540 works worth Rs 190.43 crore taken up during 2000-07, 537 were incomplete as of March 2007. In fact, some 229 works were lying incomplete for over one to six years, said the CAG report. The UUP schemes were implemented by district magistrates through panchayati raj institutions and local government agencies.

With the West Bengal chief minister as its head, the UUP, set up specifically for this purpose in 2000, has 20 representative members of the six districts of north Bengal, namely, Coochbehar, Darjeeling, Dakshin Dinajpur. Jalpaiguri, Malda and Uttar Dinajpur.

It’s been over seven years after the setting up of UUP, and the state government is yet to prepare a perspective plan, the report said. In June 2001, North Bengal University (NBU) was asked to prepare an approach paper at a fees of Rs 2.16 lakh.‘‘The Parshad took 42 months to scrutinise the same and placed an order on NBU in January 2005 for preparation of a perspective plan at a fees of Rs 11.52 lakh’’, the report said. The plan, due for submission in July 2006, had not been received till April 2007, it added.

In addition, Rs 3.45 crore was lost due to unplanned investment, which eventually lead to suspension of work. For instance, Rs 1.59 crore was spent on civil construction works in Coochbehar which finally didn't take off. A similar story was found regarding modernisation of West Dinajpur Spinning Mills, which stands abandoned.

Flaying the UUP for not having a monitoring mechanism in place, the CAG report said against the requirement of one meeting a quarter, that is, at least 20 meetings during 2000-07, only three meetings were held.