GP's unable to utilise fund due to compulsion of online procedures

Aurangabad, June 3:

The government has released around Rs 200 crore to 867-gram panchayats (GPs) of the district under the 15th finance commission. However, it has made it mandatory to register themselves on Public Fund Management System (PFMS) and make transactions through Panchayati Raj Institutions Accounting Software (PRIASoft) only. The online system is being opposed by the alert villagers, but the Zilla Parishad chief executive officer (CEO) has made it clear to fulfill all the online procedures. The decision has now pushed the alert villagers to worry as crores of rupees are there, but they are unable to utilise it as per their convenience. To sum up, how would they recover their expense made during the elections to get elect, it is said.

PFMS is linked to e-Gram Swaraj portal. Hence through the above special software and system, each gram panchayat will have to upload information like on which scheme (national or state) it is or will be spending money, day to day expense details and other economical transactions in a month, and regular maintenance of account details. Moreover, there is one more condition before the GPs that they cannot spend the money sanctioned to them under the 15th finance commission unless they submit details of expenses of funds received under the 13th and 14th Finance Commission. Hence the active villagers are demanding the officials to find a way out and grant permission to utilise the fund.

The process of digital signature certificate (DSC) registration of checker (gramsevak) and maker (sarpanch) was made on e-Gram Swaraj portal at gram panchayat, panchayat samiti, and zilla parishad level. The login IDs of checkers-makers were sent by the CEO on May 5. However, only 14 pc of GPs had submitted the information about the checker-maker. Meanwhile, the Department of Rural Development has ordered the GPs to submit the information by June 7.

" The expense of fund received under 13th and 14th Finance Commission has to be updated on PRIASoft. Then only the 15th finance commission fund entries would be possible in PFMS. The panchayat samiti and ZP will have to appoint data entry operators at their level and get 8,000 to 10,000 entries done from them. At least 11 operators will have to be appointed and their expense will also have to be made through the finance commission fund. It will need some time in the future," said the chief finance and accounts officer (ZP) Appasaheb Chate.

The veteran Zilla Parishad member and standing committee member Madhukar Walture said, " There are many technical hindrances in filing details through software. It will halt the development of the villages. The fund received under the 14th finance commission is lying unused. If it is not made then the village could not witness development works. Hence, the proposal was tabled in the standing committee and the demand is further made to the administration to permit to use the money like before."