‘Select genuine beneficiaries, ensure zero pilferage of resources’

Union Minister Som Prakash asks officers to ensure transparency in govt. schemes

Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industries Som Prakash has asked officers to maintain transparency in the implementation of government schemes.

“You have to ensure that the beneficiaries selected are genuine and there is no pilferage of resources,” he said.

“I have heard that the implementation of Smart City schemes is not being followed up in some areas. Officials should focus on providing water, sewerage and subsidised housing for all residents of cities, including areas where low-income groups live. The true test of a scheme is whether the lives of the poor have changed or not. Officials should go by that,” he said.

He said that he has received some complaints about selection of non-deserving beneficiaries for government schemes. “If you follow transparency, the right beneficiaries will be selected and there will be no complaints,” he said.

“I have heard that some bankers are not forthcoming to give Mudra loans. Supervising officers should ensure that such complaints are not received in future,” he said. He asked officers to issue warnings to banks that do not give loans under the Mudra scheme.

Later, he met beneficiaries of Central government schemes Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka, One Nation One Ration, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana, Awas Yojana, Ujjwala, Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, Poshan Abhiyan, Mudra Yojana, Swachh Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Swanidhi, among others.

District in-charge Minister Govind Karjol said that Belagavi city has received ₹1,000 crore under the Smart City scheme. “We have spent over Rs 600 crore. All the schemes are expected to be completed by March 2023,” he said.