Majority of budget allocation unspent by 17 govt depts; only 13.82% of Rebuild Kerala funds utilised

Thiruvananthapuram: As many as 17 government departments, including the IT Department and the Environment Department handled by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, have shown serious lapses in completing the projects announced in the State Budget.

Only 13.82 percent of the funds allotted for the post-flood Rebuild Kerala Project has been utilised till now. About Rs 183 crore was kept apart for the project during this financial year. But according to the Planning Board, only Rs 25 crore was spent. Strangely enough, not a single paise was spent during the last financial year.

The State Government diverted to other means a fund of Rs1,780 crore allotted by the World Bank as a first instalment for reconstructing Kerala after 2018 floods.

Though the State Government approached for the second instalment, the World Bank replied that the request would be entertained only if the government furnished the details of the money spent for the first phase of the project.

Now, the projects under the Rebuild Kerala are moving in a snail's pace though the government decided recently to speed up the implementation of the projects.

Though the State Government collected Rs 2,500 crore along side the GST collection for the maintenance of village roads, the government later diverted the fund for other purposes.

4 departments fully utilize funds

The Legislative Assembly wing and the the three departments of Health, Public Work and Transport spent the full amount which was allocated to their respective departments.

The spending of allocated funds of the departments whose performance is much to be desired is as follows:

Housing - 15.59%, Law -14.42%, Environment - 22.34%, Food and Civil Supplies - 24.39%, Cooperation - 34.19%, Backward Classes Welfare - 30.77%, Administrative Reforms - 28.24%, Ports - 32.08%, Science & Technology - 22.83%, Excise - 39.05%, Culture - 45.14%, IT - 42.34%, Forest - 44.97%, General Education - 42.83%, Revenue - 42.61%, SC Welfare - 47.73%, ST Welfare - 37.48% and Sports - 42.07%.

The budgetary allocation for the mega infrastructure development projects was Rs 790 crore. Since most of the mega projects announced in the Budget are implemented through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) route, Rs 22 crore from the above fund was allocated to the Sports and Youth Affairs Department.

About Rs17 crore from this fund was sanctioned for implementing solid waste management projects.