UP: In implementing schemes, ‘VVIP districts’ among poor performers

As per a ranking of all 75 districts that state government’s Programme Implementation Department has done on the basis of physical progress and utilisation of funds for more than 100 schemes till February 28, Kannauj is at 23rd position, Rampur at 46th, Etawah at 55th and Azamgarh at 66th.

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Etawah is native place of Mulayam and Akhilesh, Azamgarh is Mulayam’s Lok Sabha constituency, Rampur is home district of Urban Development Minister Azam Khan, while Kannauj is Lok Sabha constituency of Akhilesh’s wife Dimple Yadav.

Besides, Varanasi — the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi -— is at 29th position in implementation of the schemes, while Rae Bareli and Amethi, Lok Sabha constituencies of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi, respectively, are at 30th and 19th ranks.

Lucknow, the constituency of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, is at 9th position. The other top 10 districts are Barabanki (Rank 1), Lakhimpur Kheri, Shahjahanpur, Hathras, Mau, Jalaun, Kasganj, Muzaffarnagar and Sitapur where the percentage of progress is between 88.61 per cent to 77.78 per cent.

Maharajganj in eastern UP is at the bottom of the ranking.

Officials said that the ranking of these districts has been prepared on the basis of implementation of the schemes, which are either completely state sponsored or centrally-funded with a share of the state government.

There are 95 to 118 schemes being implemented in these districts at present by various departments, including Urban Development, Rural Development, Rural Engineering, Public Works, Power, Revenue, Medical and Health, Agriculture, Horticulture and Social Welfare.
“Works under the MGNREGA, development of medical sub-centres, Lohia Awas, Indira Awas, pension for disabled and widows, allotment of land on lease to farmers and various such schemes are being implemented in the state. Progress in implementation of these schemes against the target given to each district is the criteria for their ranking,” said an official.

“A final ranking of the districts will be prepared after March and verification of the reports will also be done. Districts where implementation of the schemes will not be satisfactory, necessary instructions would be issued for the concerned officials,” said Rajneesh Dube, principal secretary, Programme Implementation Department.