The Ernakulam district collector has ordered the recovery of Rs 30 lakh spent from the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Fund on renovating a temple pond in Palluruthy, after finding that the expenditure violated the fund’s guidelines.
The project involved the renovation of the pond at the Azhakiyakav Bhagavathy Temple in Palluruthy. It was implemented by the Kochi Municipal Corporation during the 2014–15 financial year, when K.V. Thomas was the Member of Parliament. The municipal corporation contributed Rs 20 lakh, while Rs 30 lakh was allocated from the MP fund, according to a report by Malayala Manorama.
Collector G. Priyanka directed the Kochi Municipal Corporation secretary to recover the Rs 30 lakh allocated from the MP fund. The order also called for an inquiry into officials who were found to have committed procedural lapses while processing and implementing the project.
The action followed a complaint filed by Palluruthy resident Babu Suresh. After approaching the Kerala High Court, the complainant secured a direction for the matter to be examined and for appropriate action to be taken by the district collector. The collector reviewed the relevant file and conducted a detailed hearing before issuing the recovery order, the report said.
The finding centres on the eligibility of the temple pond renovation for funding under the MP Local Area Development Fund guidelines. The district administration concluded that using the fund for the project was contrary to those guidelines. The order therefore separates the municipal corporation’s contribution from the Rs 30 lakh drawn from the MP fund and specifically directs the corporation to recover the latter amount.
The case highlights the administrative checks governing the use of constituency development funds in urban local bodies. While the Kochi Municipal Corporation executed the work and also provided part of the project funding, the district administration has held that the central allocation could not legally be used for the stated purpose under the applicable guidelines.
The recovery direction does not, by itself, establish whether the entire pond renovation was improperly executed or whether the municipal corporation’s separate contribution was unauthorised. The reported order is focused on the use of the Rs 30 lakh MP fund allocation and on examining officials responsible for procedural failures.
The next steps are the recovery of the amount by the Kochi Municipal Corporation secretary and the inquiry into the officials identified in the order. The supplied report does not specify a deadline for recovery or the further administrative action that may follow the proposed inquiry.
