Bhubaneswar: For promotion, preservation and protection of Shree Jagannath Culture and Traditions, the State Government has decided to spend Rs 10 lakh in each Gram Panchayat (GP) under Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha (AONB) scheme.
The Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department has made this provision in its guidelines issued for implementation of the new intervention Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha.
As per the guidelines, projects worth Rs 2.50 lakh to Rs 10 lakh can be taken up under the scheme. Each Panchayat is entitled to get funds up to Rs 50 lakh, out of which Rs 10 lakh will be spent for the purpose of promotion, preservation and protection of Shree Jagannath Culture and Tradition, places of worship and pilgrim amenities in places with high congregation. The Government has the power to relax the cost limit in exceptional cases.
Odisha is the land that gave Shree Jagannath Culture to the world, a culture that is based on universal love, service and equality.
The intervention has the aim of protecting and preserving that culture through the local heritage sites and there is a need to embrace the future and prepare our people for the modern world, it said.
The developmental projects which do not invite any recurring expenditure, create community assets for benefit of the community at large. The fund can be utilised for the preservation and renovation of ancient monuments and other infrastructure belonging to the community.
The fund will be sanctioned in two instalments—52% and 48% of the project cost. Out of the approved cost of each project, 2% will be spent as administrative expenditure (1% for the block, 0.5% for the Zilla Parishad and 0.5% for the administrative department).
The projects under the scheme will be suggested/ recommended by local people/community organizations/public representatives and other stakeholders, he said.
The consolidated GP wise project list of the Block will be submitted to Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department with signatures of Collector and President, Zilla Parishad of the district for due examination and approval of Government.
The Panchayat Samiti would execute the work departmentally following due procedure.
The District Collector shall be authorized to select any other agency/agencies for execution of work.
Transparency measures such as a web-based MIS for monitoring of the scheme and a dedicated app for sharing of photographs before, during and after for each project with GIS tagging will be developed under the scheme.
The State Cabinet had approved the scheme on July 10 with a budgetary provision of Rs. 4000 crores under the scheme from the state budget.