"It had come to notice of the department that panchayats were not submitting the grant Utilisation Certificates in time, which was the reason behind delay in issue of the next instalment of the grant," Mandeep Singh Sandhu, Financial Commissioner Rural Development and Panchayats, said.
At a state-level meeting to review the status of Utilisation Certificates of grants, he directed that the Panchayat Department officials verify the grant Utilisation Certificates submitted by panchayats.
Panchayat officials should review the status of grants issued by holding weekly meetings, he said while adding that the state government was committed to the overall development of rural belts.
Addressing the meeting, Director Rural Development and Panchayats Department Balwinder Singh asked the department's officials to bring back the grants lying unused with panchayats, rural clubs and NGOs with immediate effect.
Orders were also issued to get Shamlats (common lands in villages) evacuated from the possession of illegal occupants.