The Hindu 09.04.2013
Kottayam municipality comes under fire for poor utilisation of plan funds
expending the Plan Fund during the last financial year has caught
municipal authorities on the back foot.
According to
official records, as per data provided on April 1, Kottayam Municipality
has spent only 43 per cent of the plan funds for the last financial
year.
Pala utilised 100 per cent funds, while Vaikom and Changanassery utilised 65.63 per cent and 84 per cent respectively.
The
dismal performance will have its effect this year and the local body
will lose nearly 17 per cent of its plan fund allocation. As per
government decision, those local bodies which achieve 60 per cent of the
target will be allowed to carry over the remaining funds over to the
next year.
Worst-hit
The
Scheduled communities will be the worst-hit. The achievement under this
category is only 14 per cent. This means, funds for Scheduled
communities will witness a massive cut, if present norms are followed.
Municipal
chairman M.P. Santhosh Kumar said there had been no delay in moving
ahead with the plans after he assumed power on December 5, 2012. “We got
the nod from the District Planning Committee on January 21. But there
was a delay during tendering as single tendering was not allowed. Many
of the works had to be retendered. When the procedural formalities were
completed, it was late February,” he said.
He also
said out of 463 projects, many were in the infrastructure development
sector, which involved cumbersome procedural formalities.
M.K.
Prabhakaran, who leads the opposition LDF in the council, said the
unprecedented situation was created on account of the tussle in the
ruling Front. “The period from September to November was lost on account
of the change in leadership of the Council, following the tussle within
the party. Even after the new chairman took office, work on the plan
was held up due to the delay in the selection of standing committee
chairpersons,” he said.
Mr. Santhosh Kumar was,
however, optimistic. “This year we were in a difficult situation, But we
will overcome it soon,” he said.
“We will be able to
submit the projects for next year’s plan by April and complete the
formalities by June. This means we will get at least six months’ time
for implementation,” he said.