Kerala - Kozhikode   

Low spending by local bodies: Minister

Staff Reporter

Says grama panchayats were not maintaining proper accounts

Kozhikode: Minister for Local Administration Paloli Mohammed Kutty said on Saturday that local bodies in the State have utilised only 15 per cent of the funds allotted to them in the current fiscal. He was inaugurating the regional conference of the grama panchayat presidents of Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod districts here.

If the local bodies failed to show some discipline the allocated funds would lapse.

And the people would also have a feeling that local bodies need not be given such financial powers, Mr. Kutty said.

He also said that the accounts of the revenue and expenditure and files pertaining to the various activities were not properly maintained at many grama panchayats. He said that grama panchayats should provide drinking water facilities and seating arrangements at the reception counters for people coming to offices seeking their services.

Call to people

The grama sabhas should be more active. People should also actively participate in these activities. Guidelines have been issued to implement small project through people's committees and bigger ones after inviting tenders. However, "benami" involvement in the implementations of projects had come to the notice of the department, Mr. Kutty said.

He also asked the local bodies to acquire land for solid waste management.

Safe disposal of garbage was not only a responsibility for corporations and municipalities but also for grama panchayats.

The real problem was not to get funds to acquire but to find suitable land, he said.

The State Government is planning to earmark more funds for the agricultural sector during the drafting of the proposals of the Eleventh Five Year Plan beginning March.

The production sector had been allotted 40 per cent of the total allocation and the service and infrastructure sectors 30 per cent in the Ninth and Tenth Five Year Plan, Mr. Mohammed Kutty said.

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