The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Annual Plan of panchayats in jeopardy, says KPCC

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Friday, Oct 19, 2007
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Annual Plan of panchayats in jeopardy, says KPCC

Special Correspondent

Congress to stage dharna in front of Secretariat on October 24

Leaders blame feud in CPI(M) for the situation
UDF’s collectorate blockades on November 3

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has alleged that this year’s annual Plan of the local bodies in the State is in jeopardy owing to the torrid factional feud in the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

It will stage a dharna in front of the Secretariat on October 24 in protest against the delay in the implementation of Plan projects.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, KPCC’s local bodies cell members K. Sudhakaran, Jose Kattukaran, N.S. Varghese and C.P. Krishnan said the Finance Minister and the Local Administration Minister had cut the Planning Board headed by Prabhat Patnaik, a nominee of the Chief Minister, to size by handing over control of the entire Plan preparation and the executives of local bodies to the Kerala Institute of Local Administration.

Mr. Sudhakaran said the current stand off between the two wings of the government had put the Rs.1,540-crore annual Plan in jeopardy. The District Planning Committees (DPCs) are yet to give clearance to the Plan projects, without which it is not possible to undertake any development works. The DPCs can finalise the annual Plan only by December, leaving hardly three months for its implementation. Any unfinished work could be taken up as spill-over, but will not entail higher Plan allocation. If the government fails to take corrective measures, Kerala will be the only State which will not have any projects during 2007-08, he said.

The Congress leaders said the impact would be wider, affecting Centrally sponsored schemes for Rs.1,000 crore. The local bodies are unable to utilise “own funds” which come to Rs.1,000 crore this year. Given the current tussle, the local bodies will not be able to complete even 25 per cent of the Plan works, assuming that the DPCs’ clearance will be available by December.

The issue is more serious because the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front controls more than 80 per cent of the local bodies. But the members of these bodies are not in a position to protest. Mr. Sudhakaran alleged that the Planning Board was manned by the Chief Minister’s nominee, while KILA was dominated by the Pinarayi faction in the CPI(M).

The non-implementation of the annual Plan will be a boon for the Finance Department, as it could show a better balance sheet in terms of figures.

The Congress leaders pointed out that only 60 per cent of the Plan targets were achieved during 2006-07. The rest were taken up as spill-over works, but the Finance and Local Administration Departments have directed the panchayats to re-submit such projects and get fresh sanctions. This has further complicated matters, they said.

The UDF High Power Committee, which held a joint meeting of its district chairmen and conveners on Wednesday, had announced collectorate blockades on November 3 in protest against the government’s failure to get the annual Plan off the ground.

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