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Our Bureau

Thiruvananthapuram, April 2 The local bodies in Kerala have spent 87.37 per cent of the Plan funds in 2007-08 under the Eleventh Plan people’s planning programme.

The Minister for Local Administration, Mr Paloli Mohammed Kutty, said here on Wednesday that out of Rs 1,574 crore allocated to three-tier panchayats and urban bodies, Rs 1,375.24 crore was spent during the year.

This was an achievement considering that the Government had targeted a spending of 70 per cent. Only a handful of local bodies had spent below 70 per cent and they would lose the balance funds, he added.

The Minister noted that the Government had introduced transparent norms for the spending of the Plan funds in the light of experience and did not allow expenditure in violation of the guidelines. Since the local bodies could not directly take up works in areas such as electricity and drinking water, the funds earmarked for them were deposited with the organisations concerned, he said.

The district panchayats in the State spent an average of 84.90 per cent of the Plan funds. The Alappuzha district panchayat with 100 per cent achievement topped the list, while the Kottayam district panchayat lagged at the bottom with 70 per cent.

The State average for corporations was 82.12 per cent with Thrissur occupying the top position with 93.19 per cent. The Kollam Corporation came last with 73.10 per cent.

The municipalities spent an average of 81.84 per cent of the Plan funds. Among them, Neyyatinkara, Vaikkom, Ottapalam, Angamaly and Malappuram municipalities spent 100 per cent of the Plan funds, while the Kannur municipality brought up the rear with just 39.17 per cent.

The block panchayats recorded an average spending of 85 per cent, while the grama panchayats achieved 79.33 per cent, the Minister said.

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