KOCHI: Inefficiency and lack of awareness may result in the Kochi corporation losing the 15th Finance Commission (FC) grant for the year 2020-21.
A notification dated June 30, issued by the Local Self Government Department, had asked the civic body to present a revised plan for budget utilisation before the district planning committee within a specified date, in order to avail the renewed annual funds. As per the new budget, a total of `83 crore will be allotted to the corporation as the government’s share, in addition to `59 crore as the FC grant.
“However, even in the last council meeting, no decision was made regarding the projects to be included under the revised plan,” said Kochi Corporation LDF parliamentary party secretary V P Chandran. Now even the councillors were unsure if the drafting and submission of the project plan can be completed on time for the disbursal of funds, he added.According to Chandran, even during 2019-20, the corporation was unable to fully utilise the FC grant.