With only 52 days left until the end of the financial year, local bodies have not used approximately Rs 4497.72 crore of the funds allocated for various programs. Out of the 7488.64 crores set aside as plan funds, only 2996.92 crores have been spent, resulting in an unused amount of 60%. The state average is 40.02%. There are eight districts that fall below this average.
It remains uncertain what the local bodies will do with the remaining funds, as they have been unused for over 10 months and will lapse if not used within the next 52 days, with the exception of 20%. Officials attribute the unused funds to the delay of the guidelines for the 14th five-year plan and disruptions from a quarry and crusher strike that affected road construction.
Kollam leads with 44.83% of the funds being spent, while Kozhikode lags behind with only 33.01% spent. Thiruvananthapuram ranks 11th. Districts including Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Kasaragod, Thiruvananthapuram, Idukki, Kannur, and Kozhikode fall below the state average.
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