No scheme approved yet; repair work to get delayed

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Not a single scheme related to repair and restoration of infrastructure damaged in floods has been approved in the present fiscal (2020-2021). As a result, repair works will get delayed.

These projects are approved by the State Executive Committee of the SDRF (State Disaster Response Fund). Sources informed that not even a single meeting of the Committee was convened during the last seven months of the present financial year.

Various works related to infrastructure repair and development across the State, are generally undertaken after the annual Monsoon season. This 'working season' begins in October and continues till April. Post-April, the pre-Monsoon season starts. Then, it is not feasible to carry out such works at the ground level.

Mentionably, it is only after the nod of the State Executive Committee that the Revenue & Disaster Management Department accords the administrative approval to the departments concerned.

Had the process of approval been completed even in October then also the various departments would have got adequate time to float tenders and issue work orders. The latter process itself takes a minimum period of two months, informed sources.

Against this backdrop, repair and development of roads and embankments among other such works are bound to get delayed, apprehended sources.

While 90 per cent of the SDRF fund is given by the Central government, the remaining 10 per cent is borne by the respective State governments. The Central government's total share each fiscal is released in two installments.

The Central allocation to Assam for the current fiscal is Rs 858 crore. Of this, the Government of India already released the first installment of Rs 386 crore for the financial year.

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