State finance minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, recently claimed that the present government has utilised more allocated budget funds in 2017-18 than in the previous years.
Public Works Department (PWD), which gets the lion’s share every year, however was able to utilise only 30% of the allocated budget fund till 15 February 2018.
The consumption was different for 2016-17, as in that year, the department had utilised 95% of the allotted budget.
A senior official of the PWD said, “Rs 3,672 crores was allocated in the state budget under all heads but only around 30% was utilised this year for various reasons.”
For the record Rs 479.8 crores was allocated under the non-lapsable control pool of resources. Under revenue investment, Rs 982 crores was allocated and under state-owned projects for development (SODP), Rs 2,209.99 crores was allocated.
Under SODP projects, Rs 100 crores was allotted for converting 1,000 rural bridges into semi-permanent timber bridges. But till date only 150 such bridges have been converted.
Rs 50 crores was allotted as 50% state fund for converting some sections of railway tracks into railway over-bridges. The project is still under scrutiny.
Rs 100 crores was allotted for construction of 3 flyovers at Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Silchar. The PWD official claimed that the detailed project report preparation work for the project is under process.
Similarly, many other projects in the department are under process or have not been started.
“PWD works are mostly carried out between November and February only,” the PWD official said. He also explained that most of the construction contractors deposit their bills in the month of March - that is after the season is over. Resultantly, many bills are pending payment and hence the budget looks unutilised.
Contradicting the view, another source in the PWD department said that many proposals for utilising the funds are pending with the finance department. The source said, “The finance department takes time in approving proposals.”
The source also revealed that the proposals are made by the ground level engineers which are forwarded to the senior officials in Dispur for ministerial approvals.
Many files are pending in the PWD minister’s office in Dispur and also with the finance department, the source informed.
Rainy season, stone chip scarcity mar PWD works
The Public Works Department (PWD) works have mostly been stalled because the contractors cannot work during rainy season. Further, the scarcity and non-availability of stone chips is making things difficult at present.
One Class A PWD contractor, Prabeen Thakuria said, “This year the rainy season continued till November disrupting all road construction works.” He is a Guwahati-based contractor and revealed that non-availability of stone chips has also added on to the existing difficulties.
In the middle of 2016, the Meghalaya government had banned earth cutting in the state resulting in the closure of the stone quarries located on the Assam-Meghalaya border areas like Pilinkata, which was a major supplier of stone chips to Assam.
For around three months (July to September) the PWD road construction work was stopped in the state areas were Meghalaya stone chips were used and later the state government arranged for stone chips from Bhutan.
But the process raised the expenditure of the contractors as one cubic metre (CM) of stone chips, which used to cost Rs 1,800, escalated to Rs 3,500.
The problem continues in the state and the government is yet to resolve the matter.
Solitary officer burdened with too many responsibilities
The public works department (PWD) minister Parimal Suklabaidya recently ordered an enquiry to probe the poor quality of works rendered by the various engineers and contractors in the state.
Sources revealed that since only one person is taking care of the entire department the quality check is not up to the mark.
Till last year two commissioners and secretaries used to head PWD (Roads) and PWD (National Highway and Buildings).
Since last year, Rajesh Kemprai is the only engineer who is heading both the divisions of the department, which therefore is affecting the quality check of the work carried out by the department.
PWD is the only department in the state which is headed by engineers and not IAS officers.
Sources in the department revealed that Kemprai is not being able to handle all the divisions of the department individually.
Kemprai, when contacted however said, “I have no issues in handling all the divisions of the department as there are so many efficient officers to help me.”