The state government, at a cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, adopted an amendment by the Centre in guidelines for utilization of the MPLAD funds by removing the time limit for the MPs to recommend development works any time in the fiscal year as against the earlier stipulation of the first 90 days of a fiscal year.
Briefing the reporters, Principal Secretary (Cabinet Coordination and Secretariat) Ravikant said that under the amendment in the guidelines for utilization of the MPLAD funds by the MPs, the recommended development works will have to be granted administrative consent within 75 days of recommendations for the MPs and in case of those works not feasible for execution the district magistrates will be required to take take a decision within 45 days.
Bihar government also approved release of Rs 1200 crore as its 35 per cent share towards implementation of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in the fiscal year 2012-13, he said.
The Centre was yet to release its 65 per cent share of the SSA expenditure at Rs 2400 crores, Ravikant said.
The state government also sanctioned a provision of Rs 400 crore as a working capital for the cooperative banks for procurement of wheat during 2012-13 kharif season at the minimum support price fixed by the Centre, he said.
