Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday called for steps to take up Plan projects early during the financial year.
Addressing a conference of secretaries and heads of departments convened to discuss implementation of the Plan projects here, the Chief Minister said that the Plan expenditure last year was 89 per cent of the total outlay. Of the total outlay, only 21 per cent was spent in the first six months of the financial year. The expenditure was 28 per cent during the last month of the year and 39 per cent in the preceding five months. This situation should change.
Mr. Chandy noted that the Centre was willing to provide additional assistance on the basis of efficiency in the implementation of the Annual Plan. It was possible to get more assistance for skill development and organisation of National Games. Special attention needed to be paid in the implementation of centrally sponsored programmes.
He said that of the programmes announced as part of ‘One Year Action Plan’, programmes that could not be taken up till now would be launched during the anniversary celebrations of the UDF government next month. Chief Secretary K. Jayakumar would coordinate the efforts.
He noted that the Assurance Committee of the Assembly would be monitoring implementation of projects announced in the Governor’s Address and Budget from this year.
The Chief Secretary told the conference that working groups should meet in April and May to grant administrative sanction to plan projects. The conference was attended by Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and Vice Chairman of State Planning Board K. M. Chandrasekharn besides government secretaries, heads of departments and other higher officials.
Keywords: Kerala, Oommen Chandy, Plan projects, Governor's address
