By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Days after Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy reviewed the progress and utilisation of Odisha Mineral Bearing Area Development Corporation (OMBADC), RTI activist Pradip Pradhan alleged that funds didn’t show investment of about Rs 15,000 crore out of a total receipt of Rs 16,562.27 crore.
Pradhan said a Press release issued by the Chief Secretary’ office, which was published in newspapers on Thursday, carries a lot of information except investment of Rs. 15,022.82 crore.Srikant Pakal, an RTI activist of Cuttack, had sought information, he said. A reply of PIO dated August 28, 2020 revealed that a total of Rs 15,586.91 crore were received from December 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019 and interest received till December 31 was Rs 975.36 crore. Thus, total amount came to Rs 16,562.27. The PIO reply has also detailed about release of amount of funds to different line departments.
To another RTI query, the PIO, Director of Mines, has provided information dated January 31 of mining leaseholders with address who paid compensatory penalty as per order of Supreme Court during 2017. A total amount of Rs 15326,63,88,256 was collected as compensation and penalty as per direction of Supreme Court.
Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy and OMBADC CEO Uma Nanduri days back reviewed progress of funds utilisation. Nanduri had informed that so far projects worth Rs 1,080.92 crore in priority sectors like housing, drinking water, skill development and forestry have been sanctioned under Phase-I fund of the OMBADC.4 The major projects include construction of 29,829 dwelling houses, 215 small pipe water supply projects, three mega pipe water supply projects and distribution of 9.8 lakh seedlings for urban plantation.
Similarly, the projects worth Rs12,118 crore were sanctioned under Phase-II ( compensation money) for sectors like drinking water supply, education, skill development, health infrastructure, child development, water harvesting and soil and moisture conservation etc. So fare, more than 95% (28,500) of the dwelling houses and 93% ( 199) of the drinking water projects have been completed.“So far, Rs 2,085 crore have been released against Phase-II projects.
