The Kudumbasree Mission appears set to lose Rs.30 crore in Central assistance following the failure of the Rural Development Department to submit utilisation certificate for the amount already received by it from the Centre.
The amount due to the State is the second instalment of the Rs.52 crore sanctioned to the State under the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) for the current financial year. The Central government had sanctioned Rs.22.50 crore as the first instalment of the Rs.52.50 crore sanctioned to the State for the year.
Half way through the year, the Central government had refashioned the SGSY scheme into the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). Kudumbasree is the implementing agency of the NRLM in the State. The Mission has done much work to bring all Below the Poverty Line (BPL) families under the NRLM. However, its efforts to complete the work have hit a roadblock on account of the delay in getting additional funds from the Centre.
The SGSY was implemented by the Rural Development Department. The department should have submitted the mandatory utilisation certificate by February 28. According to sources in government, the department has so far finalised the figures in respect of all districts except Kozhikode. Unless the amount spent in Kozhikode is finalised, it would not be possible to consolidate the figures for the entire State. With barely a fortnight left for the closure of the year, this has raised fears about the fate of the NRLM in the State.
