Utilise SCP-TSP funds or face penal action: Karjol

Deputy Chief Minister and Public Works Minister Govind Karjol issued a stern warning to officials of various departments, saying that penal provisions will be invoked against them if the funds allotted under Special Component Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan (SCP-TSP) are not utilised effectively.

During a meeting of the Social Welfare Department, it was learnt that of the 30,445 crore available under SCP-TSP, only 39% (Rs 11,861 crore) of the funds was spent till the first-half of December. Officials will have just three months to utilise the funds. “Department heads, where the funds are unlikely to be spent, have been directed to reappropriate the funds to departments where it is required,” he said.

To a question, he said that Revenue, Skill Development, Agriculture and Forest departments had spent the least in terms of funds allocated to them. However, most of the departments will utilise the funds by the end of the financial year as they have only a few schemes under SCP-TSP, he said.

One of the major reasons for the delay in implementing projects under the scheme was that the action plan for these projects were approved only in September. “Floods also affected the progress of works taken up. Moreover, due to problems with the e-procurement website for over three months, no tenders could be floated,” he said.

On the state government scrapping exams held for appointment of engineers to PWD, he said that there were allegations of irregularities in exams conducted during the year.

“Special rules were framed and exams were held by Karnataka Examinations Authority, with chief engineer of PWD as chairman for the process. However, owing to complaints such as lack of transparency, we have instructed KPSC to conduct fresh examinations,” he said.