In a significant move to enhance the state’s infrastructure, the Arunachal Pradesh Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) has granted approval for 2,816 projects under the State Infrastructure Development Fund (SIDF) phase-1 for the fiscal year 2023-24.
The recently approved project proposals, totaling over Rs 1,253 crore, have set the current year’s expenditure limit at Rs 626 crore for implementation under SIDF, as mentioned by a senior official.
The Department of Finance Planning and Investment, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, clarified in a communique that the allocated funds are indicative and should be utilized by departments only after verifying the actual requirements and adhering to SIDF guidelines and other codal formalities.
These approved projects span across various departments, including Health and Family Welfare, Higher and Technical Education, Home, Indigenous Affairs, Panchayati Raj, Tourism, Environment, and Forests, along with the state’s Finance, Planning, and Investment department, as stated by Sharat Chauhan, the principal commissioner of the department.
Chauhan emphasized that all project implementations will adhere to prevailing rules, government orders, and comply with General Financial Rules (GFR) and Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) guidelines. Expenditure will only be incurred after necessary budgeting in consultation with the Finance, Planning, and Investment department’s Budget Division, and it will be regularized during the finalization of the Revised Estimate for 2023-24.
Furthermore, proper coordination between the nodal department and the executing agency (where applicable) is crucial, ensuring that the works are executed in accordance with prescribed norms and specifications. The official emphasized the importance of completing all schemes within the specified timelines to avoid cost or time overruns. Any changes in projects will not be entertained unless duplicity is identified, added the official.