Failure to furnish utilisation certificate blocks Centre’s fund flow: Biswajit

IMPHAL | Sept 4

Commerce, industry and textiles minister Thongam Biswajit Singh has strongly instructed handlooms and textiles department officials to follow guidelines of the central sponsored schemes during implementation.

Chairing a monthly review meeting of the department this evening at the conference hall of his new secretariat office, Biswajit explained that decrease in fund flow from the Centre is due to failure of the departments concerned to submit their utilisation certificates in time. He continued if the officials follow the scheme guidelines properly there will be no problem during preparation of utilisation certificate.               

Instructing the officials to ensure proper implementation of the handloom and handicrafts delivery scheme, Biswajit said the government has a stock of 50,000 yarn for distribution to the weavers and Rs 1 crore to buy back of the finished products from the weavers.

According to the officials, as on August 7, a total of 2236 weavers have registered and enrolled under the scheme, whereas the target of the department is to enroll and register 5000 weavers.

The minister also instructed the officials to distribute the remaining solar lamps to the beneficiaries under the solar home lighting system.

During the meeting, the officials apprised the minister that the state level project committee constituted will recommend 80 numbers of cluster development projects under NERTPS, 20 block level cluster under NHDP, one consolidation of 27 clusters under NHDP, two each of mega handloom clusters and handloom parks and 20 numbers of handloom cluster under MSME to the Centre for the year 2017-18 in the Handloom Sector.

Officials also informed that the directorate of handlooms and textiles will propose 20 projects each of handicrafts cluster projects under AVHY, setting up of Common Facility Centres (ITDS), handicraft clusters under MSME and two for mega handicraft clusters under NERTPS and 16 for Technical Training on Handicrafts for SC Artisans.

Biswajit also strongly instructed the officials concerned to submit the list of beneficiaries who have already received the amount sanctioned for procurement of looms but yet to procure the looms.

During the meeting, the minister also discussed the issues of developing hill Haats and Crafts Centre in each districts of the State, setting up of textile workers hostels, establishment of district handlooms and textiles offices, etc.

Today’s meeting was attended by principal secretary (Textiles, Commerce & Industries) L. Lakher, director Lamlee Kamei, project manager of all districts and other officials of the department.