Union rural development minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and state?s officials discuss projects at the review meeting in Ranchi. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Ranchi, April 21: Union rural development minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh today said he was happy with the progress of development schemes in the state and assured the Jharkhand government that there would be no dearth of funds to run the projects.

He, however, said the free flow of funds would happen only if the state improved its utilisation capacity.

The Union minister arrived here this afternoon to review the progress of the food-for-work and a few other rural development schemes in various districts of the state.

Rural development minister Anosh Ekka, NREP minister Harinarayan Rai, chief secretary M.K. Mandal and senior officials of various departments were the participants at the review meet. The deputy commissioners of the districts concerned presented their progress reports at the Assembly.

Singh said: ?I am satisfied with the pace of progress under the food-for-work scheme. But I want more improvement. Every village should have at least two ponds. Scarcity of block development officers in this state is badly affecting the execution of rural development schemes, but the state government has assured that it will be sorted out soon.?

Incidentally, soon after landing at the Birsa Munda Airport, Singh had said Bihar and Jharkhand had miserably failed to utilise the central allocations. He had also complained that the case was similar in other NDA-governed states.

There is no reason why the state should have any problems in implementing development schemes as the rebels, too, are not opposed to rural development, he added.

?Even the Naxalities are not opposed to the rural development schemes, as it involves the uplift of the living condition of the poor. The problem arises only when the block development officers start demanding a share (from the allocated funds).?

Referring to the Indira Awas Yojana, Singh ordered the officials concerned to maintain transparency while allocating money to build houses.