BALURGHAT, June 11 -- In South Dinajpur, only a fraction of the funds allocated under the 15th Finance Commission has been utilised so far, raising concerns among officials and prompting the District Magistrate to issue strict directives to speed up development work across the district.
The 15th Finance Commission, initiated in the fiscal year 2021-22 and scheduled to run until 2025-26, allocated substantial funds for developmental activities through the Zilla Parishad. However, according to official data, only about 10.46 per cent of the total Rs 20.68 crore allocated to the South Dinajpur Zilla Parishad has been spent - approximately Rs 2.16 crore. Around Rs 18.52 crore remains unutilised with only a year left in the Commission's tenure.
District Magistrate Bijin Krishna has instructed all departments concerned to complete their allotted projects within the designated timeline. "Work is in progress. Major projects are underway at the Zilla Parishad. Bills can only be cleared upon completion of works. Everyone has been directed to follow the timeline strictly," he stated.
Though some progress has been made by the eight Panchayat Samitis in the district - utilising Rs 3.55 crore out of Rs 6.02 crore - the performance at the Gram Panchayat level remains concerning. Out of Rs 29.57 crore allocated to the 64 Gram Panchayats, only Rs 20.31 crore has been used so far. Utilisation rates vary significantly, with some Gram Panchayats reporting only 25-27 per cent expenditure. In Uday Gram Panchayat of Gangarampur block, just 6 per cent of the allocated funds have been spent.
The slow pace of implementation has drawn criticism, especially as many projects remain confined to paperwork without physical execution. With just one fiscal year remaining, officials fear that unutilised funds may have to be returned to the Central government if work is not completed in time.
Worryingly, several Gram Panchayats and Samitis have fallen below the state average utilisation rate - 47.49 per cent for Gram Panchayats and 51.17 per cent for Panchayat Samitis. These underperforming areas have already been flagged in official reports for their poor financial execution.
In response, the District Magistrate has issued stern instructions to all Panchayat and Samiti officials to expedite project execution and fund utilisation. Zilla Parishad Sabhadhipati Chintamani Biha acknowledged the issue, stating: "We have issued necessary instructions to ensure the timely expenditure of the remaining funds under the 15th Finance Commission.
We are hopeful that the remaining work can be completed within the stipulated period. However, a shortage of engineers in the Zilla Parishad has posed challenges over the past four years, affecting timely implementation."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.