Additional Chief Secretary Shalini upset over not utilising funds released for KKRDB

Additional Chief Secretary (Planning & Statics) Shalini Rajaneesh has written a letter to Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) Secretary N V Prasad stating that he will be held responsible for the slow pace of the development of Kalyana Karnataka region.

She also asked the secretary to pay the pending bills pertaining to the 2,344 works completed already. Only Rs 533.45 crore has been spent till the end of November 2020.

If the board fails to spend about 78% of funds released through the first and second instalments, the government will not be able to release the next instalment, she said.

KKRDB Chairman Dattatraya Patil Revoor told DH that after Covid-19 outbreak, about 1,200 works were kept in abeyance for about six months on the directions of the government and the contractors stopped the works in villages due to labour problem triggered by the Covid-19. Now, most of the works have been sped up, he explained.

"There will be no issue at all now and the on-gonging works will be completed in the stipulated time," he explained. However, KKRDB Secretary N V Prasad was not available for his reaction to the letter.

KPCC spokesperson and Chittapur MLA Priyank Kharge alleged that the State government is not concerned about Kalyana Karnataka region. "Though Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chauhan is from the region, he does not know anything. A cabinet minister should be made the KKRDB chairman as he has to attend cabinet sub-committee meeting where he could bring more funds and also get the funds for pending works released for the region. How can an MLA attend such a meeting though he was accorded the cabinet rank status?" he asked.

The Finance Department has given its concurrence for Rs 952.22 crore action plan for 2020-21 submitted by the board. The administrative department has directed the Finance Department to release this fund along with the budgetary allocation of the next year, he explained.