KOCHI: The City Corporation, which has been a good performer in the utilisation of Plan funds, managed to spend only 20 per cent of the total current fiscal allocation of Rs 138 crore. With only three months left for the fiscal year to end, civic authorities are struggling to ensure the maximum expenditure of funds to avoid cut in allocation. Since the current fiscal is the last year of the 12th five-year plan, the unspent funds will not be carried forward to the next year and will lapse.
During the last fiscal, the civic body spent 71.88 per cent of the total allocation of Rs. 146.51 crore which was termed as the highest Plan fund utilisation by any civic body in the state. The Corporation has more than 650 works that are being carried out using Plan funds.
"Plan fund utilisation till date is 20 per cent and the ongoing works are a spillover of the last fiscal. Tenders for new projects have been floated and the works will begin by January. Contractors have been asked to expedite works and the projects can be completed within three months. We expect to achieve a good per cent of fund utilization," said Gracy Joseph, Development Committee chairperson.
The civic authorities blame the frequent changes in specifications brought by the government for the delay in beginning the implementation of projects.
Meanwhile, the Opposition alleges that very few works have been started and many of the projects have not yet received the technical sanction. "If the current progress is any indication, a major per cent of the Plan funds will lapse," said V.P Chandran, CPM councillor.
The Plan fund expenditure is crucial for the civic body as the state government's fund allocation for the next fiscal would be based on the annual spending.
