KOCHI: Amid reports on the slow progress of its works by the Rebuild Kerala Initiative (RKI), senior officers said projects worth nearly Rs 6,000 crore have been tendered and are in various stages of implementation in several parts of the state.
R K Singh, CEO, Rebuild Kerala Initiative, told TNIE that while about Rs 1,700 crore was given by the World Bank for RKI-1, another `Rs 5,000 crore was tied up from the World Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, KfW, etc., after he took charge as CEO.
“Infrastructure project works worth Rs 6,000 crore have been tendered and awarded. The works are going on. Infrastructure works take at least 2-3 years for completion,” he said. Singh also denied reports that Rs 31,000 crore was allocated to RKI. Sources, however, admitted that there was a delay in RKI getting into the full stream. Only after May 2020, the projects got tendered and awarded, they said.
A note prepared by RKI said administrative sanction has been issued for `7,804 crore worth of projects, anchored by 12 departments. Of this, Public Works Department projects account for 66.30% while that for projects under LSGD, Department of Revenue and Department of Agriculture accounts for approximately 10%, 7% and 7%, respectively.
RKI has disbursed a total of Rs 1,151.23 crore of funds to 10 departments. Of this, approximately 34% has been disbursed to PWD, 25% to LSGD and 15% to Water Resource Department. The mandate of Rebuild Kerala Initiative, established after the 2018 floods, is to develop, coordinate, facilitate and monitor the Rebuild Kerala Development Programme (RKDP) through a participatory and inclusive process. The RKDP constitutes the state’s strategic road-map for a green and resilient Kerala.