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Corporation audit: UDF alleges bid to cover up anomalies

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JUNE 8. The UDF Opposition in the City Corporation Council has accused the LDF leadership of trying to cover up the financial irregularities unearthed by the performance audit of the local body for the schemes taken up under the Kerala Development Project in 2002- '03.

The UDF council party leader, K. Maheswaran Nair, and the deputy leader, M. P. Saju, today said the failure to present the audit report in the council had exposed the attempt to keep the irregularities under wraps. They said the report which was forwarded to the Corporation Secretary in January this year, had not come up for discussion in the council as necessitated by the Municipalities Act. The audit, which was carried out by the Regional Performance Audit wing, blames implementing officers for the failure to take up new projects. The report states that none of the projects in the Agriculture and Animal Husbandry sector were implemented. In the Fisheries sector, out of the total outlay of Rs. 15 lakhs earmarked for housing of fish workers, only Rs. 98,000 was utilised till December 31, 2003.

In the Industries sector, an amount of Rs.10 lakhs was allocated for four projects, but none of them were implemented. A sum of Rs. 74,329 was utilised for purchasing goods for the Care Home at Chacka without inviting quotations.

In the Culture sector, the audit found that three of the 10 projects had not been implemented while two were partially completed. Only 25 per cent of the allocated funds were utilised for slum improvement schemes.

The audit team found that the Corporation had remitted an amount of Rs. 60 lakhs with the KSEB for a project to replace CFL bulbs in streetlights with tube lights. The amount was remitted without furnishing the plan and estimate of the project, the report reveals.

The audit team said it had found a mobile tar mixing plant abandoned and gathering rust in the premises of the general store at Chacka. The report recommends action against those responsible for causing loss to the Corporation on this account.

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