Ayodhya: The recent defeat of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Faizabad parliamentary constituency has led the state government to investigate the reasons behind the loss, uncovering shocking details of unutilized development funds.
The funds allocated by the 15th Finance Commission for rural development through Gram Panchayats have largely remained unused, with many projects in rural areas stalled. A total of 103 Gram Panchayats have been identified for not utilizing the allocated funds.
"This was a shocking revelation. We had the impression that, besides the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the adjoining areas were saturated with development schemes because the government had input about the allotment of funds for development. But in reality, the funds have not been used at the village level," a senior BJP leader in Ayodhya told this reporter.
When the Yogi government began the scrutiny, the Chief Development Officer (CDO) requested a progress report and found that there had been no advancement in developmental projects despite the allocation of funds. As a result, District Program Officer (DPO) Avinash Kumar issued show-cause notices to 103 Gram Panchayat officials. These officials now face potential suspension for negligence, violating senior officials' orders, and failing to complete projects despite receiving funds.
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In 48 Gram Panchayats, no funds were utilized despite allocations of up to 1 million INR. Additionally, 22 Gram Panchayats utilized less than 10% of the allocated funds, and 25 Gram Panchayats spent less than 20% of their allocated funds. Despite repeated warnings, 72 Gram Panchayats showed no progress.
The show-cause notices issued by the CDO include detailed reports on the allocated and utilized funds, highlighting the percentage of funds used and the progress of development projects under the 15th Finance Commission's allocations.
The findings have prompted a deeper look into the implementation of development schemes and the accountability of local officials in ensuring that allocated funds are effectively utilized to benefit the rural areas. The state government is now taking steps to address these issues and ensure that future allocations are used as intended for the development and betterment of the community.
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