Big doubt over fund safety

Khammam: How safe are the Fourteenth Finance Commission (FFC) funds that were released recently to local bodies?

There are doubts as sarpanches do not have proper knowledge about these funds. No effort has been made to change the mindset of sarpanches  who were elected spending lakhs of rupees. They now want to make it up with state and central government funds.

As per details, Khammam district got Rs 25.98 crore from the Fourteenth Finance Commission to spend on infrastructure projects in 584 gram panchayats. In Bhadradri-Kothagudem district, about Rs 19.20 crore were released for spending in 479 gram panchayats. FFC funds used to be released as per the population basis of 2011 and each person will get Rs 239. There are 10.17 lakh people in  Khammam and 7.68 lakh in Bhadradri district.

Inclusive growth is not possible without the expansion of the rural economy and strengthening of local bodies. The Fourteenth Finance Commission had diverted 25 per cent of the funds that used to be earmarked to the zilla and mandal parishads by the earlier finance commissions and released funds directly to the gram panchayats.

There are guidelines on spending FFC funds. The funds can be spent on repairs of drinking water projects and their maintenance along with sanitation, drains, CC roads, street lights, borewell repairs and salaries of personnel working in GPs. But the state government changed the panchayat raj Act and made the signature of the upa sarpanch of the village mandatory along with that of the sarpanch for releasing funds.

There are occasions when the district collector cancelled the cheque power of many sarpanches for misusing funds. In the present system, officials should ensure that the sarpanch and upa sarpanch do  not connive in misusing FFC funds.

The government faces a tough task in preventing such a conspiracy from occurring. The election expenditure of sarpanch candidates in 15 gram panchayats including Dammapet and Nayakan-gudem touched Rs 1 crore.

How can FFC funds be spent without pilferage is turning to be the big question. The new PR Act intends to punish erring sarpanches. They can be removed from their posts if guilty.

Mr G Anil, a lecturer, said, “The government should send a message to remove erring sarpanches and upa sarpanches if found guilty and criminal cases should also be filed against them to save FFC funds. The next time no sarpanch candidate will dare to spend money in the elections.”