Kendrapara, Feb. 7: The district administration has imposed penalties on some heads of panchayat bodies for slow progress in the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Implementation of the scheme has been poor in the district, said sources.

Around 50 per cent of Rs 17.55 crore sanctioned under the scheme in the current fiscal year is lying unspent. Many departments, including irrigation, horticulture, pisciulture, animal and husbandry and forest, have turned out to be defaulters in executing projects.

“The administration has penalised 24 sarpanchs. Also, about two dozen other sarpanchs have been showcaused for lapses in project implementation,” said Kendrapara collector Durga Prasad Behera. Though plan estimate of projects were ready, work was yet to commence for strange reasons. Notices imposing penalties have been issued against the panchayat heads, said the district chief.

Sarpanchs of Nikirai, Aragala, Badambila, Balakati, Batipada, Narendrapur, Nuapada, Padinipala, Singiri, Ayeba, Bharatpur, Charigaon, Dhola, Kora, Purussotampur, Shyamsundarpur, Katanabania, Siko, Bandhapada, Gupti, Iswarpur, Mahuiia and Ostia have been penalised.