THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The local bodies in the state have failed in utilizing nearly Rs 140 crore allotted for waste management in the last four fiscals.
RTI documents reveal that the state government had allocated Rs 140.48 crore between 2010 and 2014 to the Suchitwa Mission, the agency entrusted for facilitating scientific waste management facilities and disbursing subsidies.
The state had nearly 1,200 local bodies before delimitation but the Suchitwa Mission received only 594 projects related to waste management for technical sanction between 2010 and 2014 while 26 applications are still pending with it for approval. More than half of the local bodies did not even submit a project for approval.
The analysis of utilization of funds by the few local bodies that could get technical sanction presents an even worse picture. Of 978 panchayats (before delimitation), on ly 75 submitted utilization certificate and in case of municipalities, the performance has been below par, with only 14 producing utilization certificates.
During the past four years, the Suchitwa Mission has worked out a series of schemes, ranging from upgradation of solid waste management facilities to setting up public toilets, in the plan fund.In 2010, the total plan fund of the mission was Rs 5 crore while it rose to Rs 55 crore in 2011and Rs 65.5 crore in 2012.
