SHOAIB SHAIKH
Staff Reporter
PANAJI
Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC)’s three consecutive elected bodies failed to utilise completely the development and welfare funds sanctioned by the government authorities since 2000.
According to the review of data, about the utilisation of funds by the municipal councils and the municipal corporation, done by the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA), the MMC has utilised funds partly for only 13 times of the 54 times money was sanctioned for the development of the port town as well as the welfare of municipal employees.
The council was found to utilise only 25 per cent of the funds sanctioned since the financial year 2000-01, and it is yet to submit 54 utilisation certificates (UCs) for utilising more than Rs 13.71 crore.
Municipal councils and corporations have to submit UC as mandated by the DMA after utilisation of funds.
As per the list of such defaulters drawn by the DMA, it has come to light that while funds under some schemes have been underutilised by the MMC, other projects for which the funds were allocated did not even take off.
The data indicates that only a part of the funds, sanctioned under the development grants, was utilised by the MMC.
Under the development grants, the DMA had sanctioned Rs 6,19,16,681 and the MMC utilised just a little over 56 per cent to the tune of Rs 3,48,24,623.
The data reveals that of the 20 times the development grants were sanctioned, only 13 times the funds were utilised in bits and pieces.
From the grants sanctioned to the MMC on 34 other counts, not even a single rupee was spent and subsequently no UC was submitted.
These include grants for purchase and maintenance of electrical fixtures, solid waste management grants and 13th Finance Commission grants provided by the central government amongst others.
Upon analysing the data term-wise, the council elected for the term 2000-05 was found to have utilised the least amount with less than one per cent funds used from the Rs 5,76,28,920; during the subsequent term – 2005-10, the elected representatives were found to have improved their expenditure share to 37.75 per cent utilising Rs 1,87,16,959 from Rs 4,95,87,526 grants sanctioned during the tenure. However, during the last council term 2010-15, the port town councillors were found to have utilised close to 53 per cent of the allotted funds. The council found to have spent Rs 1,57,57,892 of the Rs 2,98,95,580 received as grants.
In addition, the council had funds received during the previous two terms which either remained underutilised or unutilised.