A heated review meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) in Karimnagar and Sircilla districts saw the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, blasting officials over the delays and irregularities in executing various projects.
The two-and-a-half-hour meeting, attended by collectors, government officials and local public representatives highlighted a series of pressing issues and the minister issued stern warnings and directives.
Sanjay expressed frustration over the prolonged delays in completing road projects under schemes like
the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). He cited examples where projects sanctioned years ago remain incomplete, causing severe public inconvenience.
In Karimnagar, Rs 219 crore was allocated for 16 roads in 2021-22 but the project has seen little progress. Similarly, in Sircilla, Rs 46 crore was sanctioned for 12 roads and it remains largely unutilized.
Contractors were accused of forming a syndicate to exploit the system. Sanjay asked officials to issue notices under Section 60C, blacklist negligent contractors, and submit an Action Taken Report within 10 days.
Sanjay questioned the lack of progress despite the Central Government’s allocation of ?398 crore for Karimnagar’s Smart City initiatives. He urged officials to submit utilization certificates promptly to get the remaining ?70 crore released and ensure clarity on project funding sources. No new projects, he emphasized, should be approved until pending works are completed.
Sanjay expressed disappointment over the underutilization of funds in programmes like the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Atal Tinkering Labs. He demanded accountability for the lack of results and asked officials to implement science awareness programmes in schools.
He criticized the use of wood stoves for preparing mid-day meals in schools, despite free LPG connections under the Ujjwala Yojana, and directed that all meals in Karimnagar and Sircilla districts should be cooked using LPG stoves within 15 to 20 days.
On PM SHRI schools, he called for proper utilization of allocated funds, noting the potential for these programmes to transform government schools.
Sanjay criticized the poor performance of NREGA in providing 100 workdays to labourers. He pointed out that only a small percentage of families in Karimnagar and Sircilla districts benefited from the scheme and attributed this to the inefficiency in project execution.
He highlighted the dismal progress in solar energy adoption despite funding. He also called for greater transparency in distributing solar fans and other equipment under government schemes and directed officials to submit beneficiary lists for verification.
He stressed that no differently-abled individual in his constituency should lack necessary equipment and called for immediate action to address pending requests.
He concluded by reaffirming his commitment to holding officials and contractors accountable for delays and inefficiency and warned of swift action to ensure public welfare.
