GUWAHATI, Sept 29 - The State government is taking steps to reform the working of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK), earlier known as the Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) with an aim to provide better socio-economic infrastructure facilities to the minority communities.
Replying to a supplementary during the Question Hour in the Legislative Assembly on Friday, Minister for Welfare of Minorities Ranjit Dutta said that even though Centre has given adequate funds to the State under MsDP during past few years, the work on projects on the ground has been found to be lacking in many districts.
He said that the performance of Nagaon district, which has received the highest funding, has been the worst. He called upon the MLAs, who are members of the district-level committee, to monitor the work being carried out under the PMJVK.
On the other hand, districts like Darrang have performed very well, he added.
Dutta said that lack of an Engineering Cell within the department has also hampered the activities taken up under the MsDP.
The MsDP was renamed as PMJVK earlier this year and it was restructured to expand its scope.
He said the Centre sanctioned Rs 575 crore during the 2017-18 fiscal year for Assam under the MsDP scheme, as against Rs 634 crore during the whole of the 11th Plan period and Rs 616 crore during the 12th Plan period.
Dutta said that work will soon start on building 21 model residential schools across the State under PMJVK, including three for girls.
He added that failure of districts to submit utilisation certificates on time had in earlier times hampered flow of funds from the Centre and called upon the MLAs to take up the matter with the administration of their respective districts.
The minister said that the restructured and renamed project will now focus on the three areas of health, education and skill development.
Earlier, raising a supplementary, AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam said that projects under MsDP got delayed and funds remained utilised for long periods. He called upon the State government to appoint a nodal department for projects under the scheme.
BPF�s Charan Boro and BJP legislator Numal Momin also complained about delay in arrival of the second instalment of funds for projects under the scheme.
