MALAPPURAM: The Malappuram Municipality has been ousted from a free aid list of World Bank which is being provided for the civic bodies in the state for the past few years. The municipality has lost a grant worth Rs 1.64 cr from the Bank this year after it failed to submit a detailed report on expenditure of the previously sanctioned grants. The municipal administration has not even appealed despite two chances to ensure the fund this year. The World Bank aided performance grant is meant for the modernisation and infrastructural development of civic bodies and is being sanctioned according to a list prepared by the project director of the Kerala Local Government Service Delivery Project.
The grant which is exempted from all Treasury restrictions was a great help to the municipality to provide a slew of amenities including free food for the hungry and free WiFi connectivity first time in the state. According to formal councillor it would be an herculean task for the municipality to find a place again in the list next time. But chairperson C.H. Jameela has shunned all such apprehensions saying that the municipality would apply for the next year’s grant.
