Central funds may lapse as projects fail to take off

Ludhiana : Funds allocated under central schemes for certain developmental projects may lapse as work under these projects hasn’t started due to weather conditions or some other circumstances.
Road construction on elevated flyover is among these projects which could not be started on time. Now, there are chances that Rs 3 crore allocated for the work may lapse. Officials said they are finding different ways to stop lapse of funds and are trying to use allocated funds on some other important work which the MC has been unable to undertake due to lack of funds.
Sources said on the elevated flyover, the expansion joints are to be replaced, and once that is done, the road will be reconstructed. But the officials could not start the work to replace expansion joints despite the fact that contractor has already supplied the material in the city.
Officials, however, blamed the ongoing work of National Highways Authority of India on Ferozepur Road due to which they did not start the work on the elevated flyover. Now this work will begin in March or April, they added. Since expansion joint replacement has been suspended for a while, the road cannot be constructed. If officials did not complete the road work by March, Rs 3 crore grant will lapse, sources said.
Superintending engineer, MC, Tirath Bansal said, “We have suggested to shift the site so that allocated fund don’t lapse. Works will start shortly.”
Notably, due to poor financial status of the civic body, development works are dependent on various schemes run by the central government. The civic body is using schemes of Swachh Bharat Mission, AMRUT, national clean air programme, 15th finance commission to get its works done. Now the situation has come to a stage where contractors participate in the MC tenders only if the works are to be done through these schemes.