Edamalakudy inside the Munnar forest division is among the grama panchayats that have recorded the lowest utilisation of funds in the State.
Except in 2012-13, when it was 70%, the fund utilisation had remained below 50% since the formation of the tribal grama panchayat in 2010.
With only a few days remaining in this financial year, the use of funds has been put at 39.47%. The total funds allotted was ₹2.8 crore. A grama panchayat member said with the panchayat at the bottom in spending money, all conditions for fund utilisation were taken away in April last year. He said even then the funds remained unspent.
The grama panchayat located inside the forest did not have a motorable road and the funds could be utilised for development works only with the permission of the Forest Department.
Without road connectivity, it was not possible to bring construction materials to the grama panchayat, resulting in poor utilisation of funds.
He said 40% of the funds had to be utilised for the production sector, which included agriculture and cattle rearing. However, only cash crops were cultivated here. Due to the frequent raiding of crops by wild animals, people did not cultivate vegetables or engage in dairy farming.
Service sector
He said only the funds allotted to the service sector could be utilised. All families were given a cot in 2012-13, which resulted in the fund utilisation reaching 70%.
There are 730 families belonging to the Muthuvan community in the Edamalakudy grama panchayat.