KANNUR: Local Self-Government Minister K.T. Jaleel has said that local bodies will be allowed to use Plan funds to pay for a doctor and a paramedical staff to be appointed at each Primary Health Centre (PHC) on a temporary basis under their respective jurisdictions for ensuring their full-fledged functioning.
Inaugurating a seminar on ‘Decentralisation and changing Kerala’ organised here on Saturday as part of the State-level Panchayat Day celebrations, the Minister said the government would review the existing directive against using Plan funds for paying salaries. At present, PHCs function only in the forenoon, he said, adding that panchayats could now use Plan funds to pay salaries to doctors and paramedical staffers at PHCs, so that they could remain open throughout the day.
The process of recruiting doctors and paramedical staff will be initiated under the National Rural Health Mission, he added. Explaining the salient features of the second People’s Planning Campaign (PPC), Mr. Jaleel said the focus would now be on effective fund utilisation. “The practice of spending funds in March has to be stopped,” he said, adding that preparation of projects would now be confined to three months, while nine months would be set apart for execution.
“Local bodies should start planning their projects for 2017-2018 anticipating a 10% increase in allocation of Plan funds,” the Minister said. The expenditure of local bodies in the month of March should not exceed 16%, he noted.
A major innovation under the second PPC is individuals or groups interested in productive sector projects will get assistance from local bodies though linkages to financial institutions and direct payment of interests on loans. The proposal will go a long way in doing away with wastage of funds through purchase of machines and equipment that remain idle.
Mr. also said that the government wanted to streamline watershed management activities, including groundwater recharge, to handle the impending drought. District panchayat president K.V. Sumesh presided over the function. P.K. Sreemathy, MP, delivered the keynote address. State Planning Board working group member Joy Elamon, James Mathew, MLA, Local Self-Government Department Director P. Bala Kiran, and Kerala Institute of Local Administration Director P.P. Balan were among those who were present on the occasion.
