A controversy over ‘poor planning and low spending on developments projects’ is raging in Kochi Corporation as the March 31 deadline for the completion of projects is fast approaching. With a few weeks left for the completion of the Plan year, the local body could spent only 17% of its Plan fund, which the Opposition highlighted as a case of inefficiency of the civic administrators.
The corporation was expected to implement 990 projects ranging from repair and renovation works to construction of buildings during the fiscal. Then there are 100 other spillover works from the previous fiscal.
V.P. Chandran, the LDF leader in the corporation, blamed the callous attitude of the civic administrators that has ‘resulted in delay of projects.’ Mr. Chandran alleged that actual spending was even below 17%, as projected by the civic administration. “Barring the works that were to be implemented in the city using the additional ₹18 crore released by the State government, all other jobs will have to be completed by March 31. This being the last year of the current Five-Year Plan, there are apprehensions about the fate of incomplete projects,” he said.
“Though the local body had earmarked ₹70 lakh for the repair of Taluk Hospital at Karuvelippady, the project would remain inconclusive as the works cannot be completed in 45 days. It’s also the case with big-ticket projects for setting up a rest room at Brahmapuram veterinary hospital and the renovation of Polakkandam, Thevara and Amaravathy markets,” he said.
However, Soumini Jain, Kochi Mayor, was hopeful that the local body would achieve a reasonable level of spending by the end of the fiscal. Technical hassles that cropped up during implementation and frequent changes in modalities for spending funds and clearing projects, as suggested by the State authorities, took a toll on the implementation of projects, she said.
According to Ms. Jain, the transfer of a large number of officials during critical phases of implementation of projects also contributed to the delay. The posts of a few crucial officials remained vacant, she said. Dismissing the apprehensions that development projects suggested by residents and approved by the council would be lost, Ms. Jain said they would be taken up during the next fiscal. The funds would not be lapsed, she said.
