Cuttack, Nov. 14: A public interest litigation filed in Orissa High Court has sought intervention against non-utilisation of around Rs 50 crore allocated for Pipili block in Puri district under public benefit schemes.
The funds are “lying idle for the last two years” owing to non-implementation of projects and programmes under the schemes, including rural development programmes such as the Indira Awaas Yojna and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
Nishikanta Mishra, 33, a native of Pipili, said: “No project has been undertaken in the area in the last two years as the authorities have remained grossly idle and negligent in implementing the public benefit schemes.”
In each block, there are at least 22 schemes under which projects and programmes are undertaken for welfare of the people at the block level.
The petition has sought direction for effective steps for implementation of all the public benefit schemes in Pipili and imposition of penalty on concerned authorities for “inaction and gross negligence”.
According to the petition, around Rs 16.71 crore, allotted under the Indira Awaas Yojna and Rs 25.83 lakh under the rural job scheme, were lying unutilised.
The block officials had failed to utilise Rs 1.27 crore under the social security schemes and Rs 1.71 crore block grant received under the 12 th Finance Commission. Under the MPLAD and the MLALAD schemes Rs 13.37 lakh and Rs 68.64 lakh had not been utilised.