DIMAPUR, JANUARY 8 (MExN): The Peren District VDB Association (PDVDBA) today issued a statement with regard to the issue of Grand-in-Aid (GIA) for 3 years pertaining to Peren district, stating that their district has not received any fund under Grand-in-Aid till date.
“The claim of RD Assistant Director and RD Director that GIA Fund for 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2017-18 have been released to all the blocks under Peren District along with Dimapur and Mon before Christmas is not correct. The same can be confirmed from the Project Director, DRDA Peren and the Deputy Commissioner, Peren who is the Chairman of the District VDB,” a press note from the PDVDBA President, Kinkeriulung and Secretary, Izwualung claimed.
While appreciating the RD Department for the help and assistance rendered to villages of Peren district through different schemes, it said that “in our own capacity, we have always supported and cooperated with the Department for implementation and smooth execution of the various schemes and will continue to do so in the near future.”
“However, the delay in release of the GIA Fund has gravely affected minor projects in our respective villages. Having learnt that the GIA to the VDBs was cleared by the Finance Department in the month of March 2018, we are of the opinion that the delay is unprecedented as the VDBs along with the Block Officers of the District had submitted the estimate for the GIA in the early part of 2018,” the association said.
Apart from GIA, it further informed that “we have not received any amount against MGNREGA 2018-19.” Therefore, the association called upon the department to “ensure that the poorest of the poor in the State is not deprived of the little benefit which it gets as aid.”
It appealed to the department and the government to ensure the timely release of funds so that the beneficiaries can make optimum use of it.