Corp yet to get Rs 130 crore central fund: Mayor Arya Rajendran

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Centre has not handed over Rs 130 crore to the city corporation as recommended by the Central Finance Commission, Mayor Arya Rajendran told council members at a special council meet here. The meet was called following opposition BJP’s demand that the number of beneficiaries allowed to be selected from each ward for various schemes was too less to accommodate all the deserving ones. LDF members said BJP councillors had not put forward any constructive plan or proposal for the working group and development seminars. The governing council has not taken any step to reduce the number of beneficiaries it. Later, Arya explained the progress of LIFE Mission and housing schemes.

“The project expenditure rose to 74 per cent by 2020-21. This year, it will go higher. LIFE Mission completed 4,414 houses, while the construction of several others is in progress. All the plans of the corporation submitted to the district planning committee were approved,” she said. “The corporation has not yet received Rs 130 crore from the Centre. Once this is received, it will be possible to include more beneficiaries,” she said. BJP councillor M R Gopan listed out the number of beneficiaries allowed for various schemes from each ward.

“Only five beneficiaries are allowed in general category from each ward for carrying out maintenance work of houses in dilapidated condition, while two are allowed for the project to provide cots to senior citizens. Only one flat is under construction in LIFE Mission in the Corporation,” Gopan said. UDF councillor Padmakumar said the number of beneficiaries for house maintenance should be increased.

He alleged that the LIFE Mission figures are misleading as many other projects are subsumed under it now. To the allegation regarding repetition of projects in the budget, LDF councillor Gayathri Babu presented figures to show that the corporation is among the leading local bodies in projects in the production sector. Meanwhile, BJP councillors staged a protest inside the council hall with placards seeking justice for the rape and murder of a minor girl at Vandiperiyar in Idukki in which the accused was an active worker of the Left party.