The Kannur Corporation has topped all the civic corporations in the State in fund utilisation on projects executed under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme.
The corporation is also second in expenditure, after Alappuzha, among the nine mission cities, which include Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Kollam, Kochi, and Guruvayur.
The corporation has spent ₹199.54 crore, which is 62.29% of the total amount allocated for the scheme. The projects are carried out under the five sectors of water supply, sewerage and septage management, stormwater drainage, urban transport, and green space and park.
According to Rilson P. Ranjith, urban planner, AMRUT, 38 projects of the Kannur Corporation were sanctioned for implementation at a cost of ₹225.65 crore. An amount of ₹199.54 crore was sanctioned, and ₹197.61 crore has been disbursed so far for the projects, he said.
Twenty-four works have been completed, and except for works in sewerage and septage management, all the projects are expected to be completed by the end of March next year, said Mr. Ranjith.
Just as in other cities, the COVID-19 outbreak brought most projects to a standstill. As many of the major projects depended on labourers from outside the State, and many of whom had travelled back home, the work slowed down, he said.
Mr. Ranjith said the largest percentage of funds had been spent on water supply projects. Twelve projects were undertaken at a cost of ₹117 crore. They included laying of new pipelines and renewal of old ones and the construction of a water treatment plant at Chavassery.
The works under sewerage and septage management at a cost of ₹50.23 crore is in progress. Likewise, ₹36 crore had been sanctioned to implement stormwater drainage projects in 12 panchayats. Of these, four projects have been completed.
Similarly, work on two cycle tracks and two footpaths undertaken under the urban transport sector had been completed, while work on a multi-level parking, which can accommodate around 200 vehicles, is under way.
Five park projects of SN Park, Babu Rajendra Park, Avera Grama Mandiram, Kappad Shivira Mandiram, and Annakulam Park have also been completed, he said.
