Delta government embarked on 939 projects as contained in the 2012 budget, the Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Mr Donatus Umukoro, said on Tuesday.
Defending the 2013 budget of the ministry, Umukoro told the State House of Assembly Committee on Works that out of the projects, 97 have been completed and the remaining were ongoing.
He also said in order to bring supervision closer to the people, the ministry established six zonal offices to oversee projects in clusters of local government areas.
Umukoro noted that rainy season and poor funding were major challenges facing the ministry.
Aside the rains, he said: “Funding is another constraint as the budget cap imposed by the ministry of Economic Planning in 2012 compelling ?the ministry to spread available funds over numerous projects caused the delay in completion of the projects.’’
Also, the State Direct Labour Agency (DLA) told the committee said that the agency had an approved budget of N628million for 2012.
Defending the agency’s budget, Mr Emmanuel Igbini, said out of the budgeted sum of N628million, the agency was able to access N602 illion.
Responding, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr Samuel Mariere, advised the ministry and the agency not to exceed their budgetary provisions.
Mariere said that any ministry, department and agency of government that spends beyond its budgetary allocation would be going against the fiscal responsibility law. (NAN)