Ranchi, Oct. 27: The Planning Commission has set a December deadline for the Jharkhand government to complete a majority of the projects launched under the Centre’s Integrated Action Plan (IAP) in the 14 Naxalite-hit districts of the state. Planning Commission senior consultant Ranjan Chatterjee, who arrived in Ranchi this morning, told The Telegraph, “We would like the state to ensure a majority of the IAP schemes are completed by December because it is a good season to work.” He pointed out that a few districts had recorded less than 50 per cent progress, although the state’s overall execution of IAP schemes could be termed “satisfactory”. Earlier, he chaired a closed-door meeting with senior state government officials including chief secretary S.K. Choudhary and development commissioner Debashish Gupta. He also held a videoconferencing session at the National Informatics Centre office in Project Building and spoke to the deputy commissioners and senior officials of the 14 districts, despite it being a restricted holiday in Jharkhand today. Chatterjee also expressed his concerns over the poor implementation of various proposed water supply schemes in rural areas, setting up of ashram schools and the tainted Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. “I have asked the concerned engineer-in-chief why tenders for piped water supply schemes at rural areas in left-wing extremism affected areas get delayed. They have to pull up their socks to ensure timely execution of projects.” The consultant left for field inspection of IAP schemes in Ramgarh and Hazaribagh districts this evening. Interestingly, on September 8, Union cabinet secretary Ajit Kumar Seth and Planning Commission member secretary Sudha Pillai had set a January 2012 deadline for the state government to utilise a whopping Rs 770 crore — allocated under IAP for building infrastructure in the 14 districts. The districts were allocated Rs 25 crore each last fiscal and Rs 30 crore each in the ongoing financial year under IAP, which is directly monitored by the central panel. The 14 districts are Garhwa, Chatra, Palamau, Latehar, Gumla, Lohardaga, Ramgarh, Hazaribagh, Bokaro, East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum, Koderma, Simdega and Seraikela-Kharsawan. However, the state government has been demanding inclusion of all 24 districts under IAP. The plethora of IAP schemes in the state include construction of primary health sub-centres, kitchen sheds in government schools for the midday meal programme, minor bridges connecting roads built under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and vocational training for rural youths with a focus on Scheduled Tribes. Solar energy plans at villages lacking in electricity supply, piped water supply schemes and renovation of water bodies for irrigation purposes also come under IAP. Punai Oraon, the deputy development commissioner of Gumla, said the district had executed IAP projects in a speedy manner and spent nearly 67 per cent of the funds. “We have been told to be more sincere and complete the projects on a war-footing,” Oraon said. Of altogether 1,953 development schemes sanctioned under IAP, work on 1,621 was on, he added.