Congress tries to bust Twenty20’s development claims citing fund lapses

The Congress has questioned the improvement claims made by Twenty20, citing alleged lapses successful program funds successful the 4 grama panchayats governed by the governmental outfit backed by Kitex Group successful Ernakulam.

Senior Congress person and Chalakudy MP Benny Behanan connected Saturday (November 29) said that program funds to the tune of ₹19.4 crore had lapsed successful Kizhakambalam panchayat during the past 10 years nether the Twenty20 administration. Citing an RTI reply, helium said that Kunnathunad panchayat had reported a lapse of ₹8.91 crore, Mazhuvannoor ₹12.99 crore, and Aikkaranadu ₹2.55 crore successful the past 5 years since Twenty20 came to powerfulness successful the section bodies successful 2020.

Mr. Behanan said that Kizhakkambalam panchayat, the location turf of Twenty20, had fallen to the 70th presumption successful Ernakulam successful program money expenditure successful the 2023-24 fiscal twelvemonth and the 33rd successful 2024-25, portion the panchayat was astatine the seventh presumption by the extremity of the 2010-15 word erstwhile the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) was successful powerfulness there. He said the Twenty20-governed panchayats were not among the 22 section bodies that spent implicit 100% of the program funds, including spillover amounts from the erstwhile fiscal, oregon 21 section bodies that spent up to 95% of funds during the erstwhile fiscal.

The MP besides questioned Twenty20’s assertion that Kizhakambalam panchayat had a equilibrium of ₹28 crore, some successful fixed deposit and savings account, aft implementing improvement and payment projects. “The panchayat has lapsed not lone the program funds allocated successful the State Budget but besides grants from the Centre. Central grants, if not spent successful time, volition get carried forward, but lone for projects that the Central authorities proposes. Twenty20 is projecting the funds it has failed to walk arsenic a balance. All panchayats deposit funds from their ain revenues, excluding the magnitude required for salaries and different regular expenses, successful fixed deposits and savings accounts. Twenty20’s assertion of the equilibrium magnitude is wholly wrong. It has resorted to a firm benignant of making a equilibrium expanse to task mendacious profit,” helium said.

Exuding assurance that the UDF would travel backmost to powerfulness successful Twenty20-governed panchayats, the Congress person said that the beforehand would behaviour a broad probe into contracts fixed by section bodies and the agencies allegedly assigned to walk program funds.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee vice president V.P. Sajeendran and District Congress Committee president Muhammed Shiyas attended the property meet.