21 P1 agro projects miss progress targets

Twenty-one first priority (P1) projects under Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD) have failed to meet progress target in the first four months of Fiscal Year 2015/16. At a program organized to discuss work progress of different projects under the ministry organized on Monday, MoAD officials said progress of majority of P1 projects is below 80 percent while work progress of some projects have not even crossed 15 percent. MoAD has cited delay in work progress of these projects to delay in getting project approval. Similarly, April earthquake, Tarai unrest, fuel crisis and blockade affected work progress of different P1 projects, according to ministry officials. Officials say Farmers Income Enhancement Program, Horticulture Development Program, Fishery Development Program, and Crop Protection Program, among others, failed to meet the set target. “Earthquake followed by blockade and shortage of petroleum products affected works of almost every project,” Uttam Kumar Bhattarai, secretary of MoAD said, adding, “Delay in seeking project approval is the other reason.” According to the ministry, five projects of second priority also failed to meet the work progress target. Shankar Sapkota, deputy spokesperson of MoAD, said Agriculture Development Project of Janakpur, Livestock Service Training Program, among second other second priority projects, failed to meet the progress target. Source : Republica