Tamil Nadu renews appeal for funds to local bodies

Velumani submits memorandum to Arun Jaitley

Minister for Municipal Administration S.P. Velumani.

Reiterating its stand that development work in local bodies was nearing completion, the State government urged the Centre to release the second instalment of basic and performance grant for 2017-18 and the basic grant for 2018-19.

Once the delimitation process is completed, the local body polls would be held, it informed the Centre for the third time in recent months.

The second instalment of basic and performance grant for 2017-18 was ₹1,390 crore and ₹560 crore to urban and rural local bodies for 2017-18 respectively (including the Central Finance Commission grant amount).

The first instalment of the basic grant to urban and rural local bodies for 2018-19 stood at ₹1,608 crore.

A memorandum was presented by Minister for Municipal Administration S.P. Velumani to Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Arun Jaitley.

Denial of rights

The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has already recommended to the Union Ministry of Finance for the release of the second instalment of basic and performance grant and performance grant for 2017-18 to the urban local bodies in the State, Mr. Velumani claimed. The delay in conducting election should not result in denial of basic needs of the people and denial of fundamental rights of the citizens residing within the limits of the local bodies, Mr. Velumani stated.

He also presented a memorandum to Union Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Mines Narendra Singh Tomar to release the funds.