THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The administration of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, led by Mayor Arya Rajendran, has been severely criticised as “deplorable” in the latest Local Fund Audit Report for the financial year 2023-24. The audit reveals a massive failure in project implementation and a staggering waste of development funds.
The report highlights that the Corporation only managed to execute 801 projects out of the 1,872 schemes approved for the year. This means a total of 1,071 projects—intended for basic and comprehensive development, including financial growth and social justice for the local populace—were not implemented, representing a critical lapse in fulfilling the civic body’s core objectives.
The financial mismanagement is equally alarming. Despite an allocation of ₹228.71 crore from the government, the Mayor and her team only spent ₹178.28 crore, resulting in ₹50.43 crore in development funds being allowed to lapse.
The audit has detailed the low utilisation of various funds, pointing to a severe administrative bottleneck:
- Development Fund (General) spending: Only 54.5%
- Development Fund (SCP) spending: 57.51%
- Development Fund (TSP) spending: A mere 1.45%
- Road Maintenance Fund: 24.15%
- Non-Road Maintenance Fund: 41.93%
- Centrally Sponsored Fund: 36.3%
- State Sponsored Fund: 31.27%
- Own Fund: 14.97%
The damning Local Fund Audit Report for 2023-24 meticulously lists these administrative failures. The report was formally handed over to the Mayor by the Senior Deputy Director of the Local Fund on March 28, 2025, demanding immediate attention and accountability for the significant setbacks in the capital city’s development and governance.
