Kochi: The Kochi Corporation which could spend 71.88 per cent of the Plan Funds allocated by the state government in the last fiscal could utilise only 60.55 per cent of the funds this year. But, the local body is in the third position among the municipal corporations in utilising the annual allocation of plan funds. In recent years, this is the poorest performance of the civic body in Plan fund expenditure. The Kochi Corporation has more than 650 works that are being carried out using Plan funds. Since the current fiscal is the last year of the12th Five Year Plan, there is a possible chance of getting the unused funds to be carried forward to the next fiscal.
According to Mayor Soumini Jain, the frequent changes in specifications brought by the government and the transfer of officials concerned have delayed the implementation of Plan projects. “However, the funds allocated for the works which could not be implemented will not lapse as the amount has been transferred to other projects. A major chunk of the unutilized funds will go to RAY, PMAY, construction of RO-RO junkar jetties at Vypeen and Fort Kochi and for acquiring land for a couple of road development projects,” she said.
As the local body has completed the tender process and awarded work orders for several civil works, it will be able to execute them. The Corporation might also get a couple of months to complete the other incomplete projects, if the state government takes a decision in this regard. Earlier, the Local Self Government Department had strongly voiced dissatisfaction over the slowdown in planning and executing Plan projects.
