Chandigarh: Around 60 development projects of the various government departments are stuck up due to fund shortage of upto 400 crore. The work on these projects, which was initiated by the previous SAD-BJP regime, is pending since April last year. The PWD is executing most of these projects, which includes the construction of buildings for schools, colleges and hospitals.
In many cases, just about 10-30 % of the work is incomplete, but non-availability of funds has stalled the work.
In one such case, 10% work on Revenue Department’s district administrative complexes at Kapurthala and Nawanshahr is pending since August last year for the want of Rs 14 crore.
Even at Government Medical College, Amritsar around 20% work is held up since April last year, awaiting release of Rs 15 crore.
The Technical Education and Industrial Training Department has to pay Rs 1.44 crore against the construction of seven new government polytechnics completed in 2012. Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said that he was taking up the matter with the Finance Department.
Around 40% work of Central Sudhar Ghar at the Goindwal Sahib in the Taran Taran district is pending since the Jail Department has not been able to release Rs 87 crore since April last year.
Sources in the CMO stated that the status report of all projects was being taken up with the respective departments. The matter had also been brought to the notice of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, they said.
The way out
The previous SAD-BJP government started projects without making budgetary provisions for the same. The Congress government is committed to completing all projects. We have requested the Finance Department to allocate the required funds, said PWD Minister, Vijay Inder Singla
