Kerala fails to send utilisation certificates for fund given for 2018 floods: Officials

The Kerala government has failed to provide utilisation certificates for at least half of the over Rs 3,000 crore given to it a year ago as relief for the 2018 floods that claimed around 488 lives and caused major devastation, officials said on Thursday.

The state government has sought Rs 2,000 crore more from the Centre for flood damages in 2019, despite its inability to show spending in reconstruction works after the 2018 deluge, they said.

"Rs 3,048.39 crore was given to Kerala in December 2018 as relief for the floods in that year. As on April 2019, the state government could spend just Rs 900 crore and no utilisation certificates came for the remaining Rs 2,100 crore," a government official said.

From April to December last year, the Kerala government spent some more funds, which could be about half of the sanctioned amount of Rs 3,048.39 crore, the official said.

After 2018, Kerala had sought Rs 4,700 crore as compensation from the central government for the damage caused by the floods, which was termed as the worst in a century.

At least 488 people died in Kerala due to monsoon rains and floods, which hit 14 districts of the state, in 2018.

Since utilisation certificates for the first tranche of fund has not come fully yet, the Centre did not take any decision on the request for the 2019 flood damage compensation.

"The central government will be able to release more funds only after receiving the utilisation certificates for the funds already given to Kerala," another official said.