State for innovation to improve services

biswabrata goswami

14 June 2012

While 90 per cent of the project cost will be financed under the DIF, remaining 10 per cent has to be shared by the local community or ngos

TAMLUK, 14 JUNE: The state government has geared up to launch schemes related to innovative plans for the first time, in consonance with the 13th Finance Commission’s recommendations, aiming at better delivery of services to people.
Initially, Rs 1 crore each would be provided to all 19 districts under the District Innovation Fund (DIF), which will be completely funded by the Centre, a senior administrative officer said.
While 90 per cent of the project cost will be financed under the DIF, remaining 10 per cent has to be shared by the local community (beneficiaries) or non-government organisations.
“Unlike the other existing ‘Assistance Fund,’ the DIF allows use of money in the existing capital assets to provide immediate benefits to people. The DIF will help fill the vital gaps in the available infrastructure, which is not being fully utilised for want of small investments,” said Mr Mamud Hossain, saha-sabhadhipati of East Midnapore zilla parishad.
To bring in competition among districts, the state government is also planning to make a provision to reallocate unutilised funds to districts which have come up with more innovative projects. A high-level committee headed by the additional chief secretary has been set up to monitor project implementation, an officer said.
For instance, the East Midnapore district administration has given priority to innovative plans for the agriculture sector. “Several such plans have already been recommended which include the setting up of three soil testing laboratories, three seed godowns and six vermicompost units at different places in the district,” said Mr Hossain.
For West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura districts, which were mostly affected by the Left Wing Extremism (LWE), the state government has asked the district magistrate to recommend projects that would be demand-driven rather than supply driven and the schemes that would be conducive to triggering innovative measures to make government accessible and accountable to all sections of society.
According to administrative officials, each district will get Rs one crore for filling the vital gaps in public infrastructure already available in the district.
Fifty per cent of the grants would be made available to the districts during 2012-13 and the Administrative Reforms Cell has been entrusted as the nodal agency for implementation of the programmes. biswabrata goswami