KOCHI: Lack of a proper asset register , dwindling strength of scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST) families and poor plan fund expenditure seem to have cost Kochi corporation dearly. Plan fund allocation for 2019-20 fiscal from the state government, which is the major revenue for the corporation, is Rs 120 crore. Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode corporation get Rs 272 crore and Rs 125 crore, respectively.According to experts with Kerala state planning board (KSPB), the state government allocates funds to local bodies based on population of the respective local body, geographical area, strength of SC/ST families in the city, etc.City corporation only gets Rs 30 crore as maintenance grant, while Thiruvananthapuram corporation gets double the amount.“Maintenance funds are allotted based on asset register maintained by each local body. But the city corporation lacks a proper asset register. Many of the roads and buildings owned by the local body are yet to figure in the register. Government allots funds in proportionate to the number, size and length of buildings and roads,” said Konthuruthy councillor C K Peter.Meanwhile, deputy mayor T J Vinod said that a revised register had been prepared within one year after he assumed office.“We had entrusted an agency for the purpose. Now, all the assets are recorded in the register,” he said.But the budget document for 2018-19 shows that the asset register is not proper.One of the major promises in the budget was that a proper asset register would be prepared during 2018-19. The budget had envisaged that an additional allocation of Rs 8 crore could be secured from the government by revising the asset register.Low percentage of expenditure of plan fund allocation over the years also resulted in cutting short of allocation to the local body.“A few years ago, there was a norm that the plan fund allocation would be decreased in the next year if a local body fails to spend below 70% of the previous year’s allocation. The amount equivalent to that of how much is shortfall to touch 70% in the previous years would be deducted from the next year’s fund allocation. During that period, spending by the local body had been less than 70%. This caused dwindling of allocation to Kochi corporation each passing year,” said Martin Patrick, former professor of Maharajas’ College, Ernakulam. Officials with Kochi corporation said that the government had stopped the “shortfall system” since 2011. Unfortunately, the corporation’s allocation had decreased significantly by that time. Since 2011, there had not been much decrease in plan fund allocation to the local body, officials said.“The SC/ST population in the corporation limits has been decreased over the years. Now, there are only 4,000 families in the city,” said KSPB former member C P John.

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