Gujarat fails to implement development work in planned manner: CAG

The state govt has failed to implement properly 'Swarnim Jayanti Mukhya Mantri Shaheri Vikas Yojana'

Gujarat government has failed to properly implementation of 'Swarnim Jayanti Mukhya Mantri Shaheri Vikas Yojana' (SJMMVY) (Golden Jubilee Chief Minister Urban Development Scheme) at many places in the state, said latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).

According to the report, the development works were not undertaken in planned manner. As against the total outlay of Rs 22,000 crore under phase-I and Phase-II of the scheme for the period 2009-2017, the state government could release only Rs 13,618 crore, about 62 per cent till August 2015.

For the integrated housing and slum development program the CAG audit observed that major burden of cost over-run was put on the beneficiaries for dwelling units (DUs) and on ULBs for basic infrastructural facilities.

The CAG report said: "As against average cost of Rs 1.70 lakh per DU increased due to delay in completion of projects. Only Rs 1.25 lakh was financed by Government of India and state government and as result, very few recipients took the possession of completed DUs."

Out of 10,240 completed DUs, only 1,457 benificiaries have taken possession as on August 2015.

The national auditor found that execution of various development works to develop model Nagar Palika was not done in a proper way by March 2013. The audit observed that 64 per cent of road related works have been executed. As a result, even after lapse of over five years, as on August 2015, not a single Nagar Palika was developed as model.

The state government had installed solar street lighting systems under the Samras Yojana and MPLAD schemes at 80 gram panchayats. CAG in it's latest report stated that 43 per cent of the lighting systems were not operational due to poor maintenance and lower specification of batteries.

"Gujarat government has failed to maintain the criteria of union government for rural body performance. As result, the government had Rs 456.73 crore non-used grants while, due to disobedience with the 13th Finance Commission's guidelines, the Gujarat government had failed to get Rs 672.63 crore," said the CAG report.

Despite the state government have powers to submit 29 functions to panchayati raj institutions (PRIs), it was just transfer 10 of these functions, including land improvement and land reforms, to these local self-governing bodies, CAG stated in the report.