The Hyderabad Karnataka Region Development Board (HKRDB) will hold a meeting here on November 7 to finalise the action plan for 2016-17 for the implementation of micro and macro works proposed to be taken up with the Rs.1,000 crore provided by the State government.
Municipal Administration and Minority Affairs Minister Qamarul Islam, who is also the chairman of the board, told The Hindu on Tuesday that the finalised plan would be submitted to Governor Vajubhai Vala, who is the final authority to give a green signal for the works proposed by the HKRDB.
He said that the early finalisation and approval of the action plan would provide enough time for the officials to prepare estimates, get approval from the authorities, and float tenders to take up works in time. Mr. Qamarul said that the HKRDB had issued a circular enhancing the limit of funds for projects that could be scrutinised by executive engineers from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 2 crore.
For superintending engineer, it had been enhanced from Rs. 1 crore to Rs. 5 crore. This would avoid any delay in scrutiny of the proposals, which was done by the chief engineer otherwise. However, the sanctioning authority had been retained with the chief engineer.
To a question, Mr. Qamarul said the board meeting would also take into consideration and pass a resolution limiting the financial allocation from the HKRDB to projects sanctioned at the State- level to one third of the total cost.
This was being done to avert the pressure from the government on the HKRDB to sanction more funds for projects sanctioned at the State-level. Another resolution to distribute equal number of works to all the departments to achieve simultaneous and orderly progress too would be passed at the meeting.
Mr. Qamarul said the board meeting would be preceded by another high-level review meeting with the Principal Secretary, Planning, on the progress of works taken up by the HKRDB so far, on November 2 in Kalaburagi. Senior officials of all the six districts coming under the HKRDB and Secretary of the board Amlan Aditya Biswas would participate.
Early finalisation and approval of action plan will provide enough time for the officials to prepare estimates and float tenders for the works in time.
Qamarul Islam,
Minister for Municipal Administration and Minority Affairs
