NRLM funds: Joseph comes out against Ramesh

Rural Development Minister K C Joseph  and Union Minister Jairam Ramesh seems to be on a collision course as far as the utilisation of the Central funds for the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) is concerned.

Though Ramesh has flatly refused the  state’s request on the funds, Joseph, on Monday, retaliated saying that the state government will allocate funds according to its discretion.

   “Kudumbashree Mission is a programme run by the state government. By looking at the funds allocated to the mission in the last 18 months after the UDF came to power, one could  understand the importance the government has given to Kudumbashree. But funds need to be given to NGOs and nearly 40,000 self-help groups in the state.

The state government will use its discretion to allot the Central Government funds in this regard,” Joseph said in Kottayam.

 In response to a question, he said some of the bureaucrats who were at the helm of Kudumbashree during the LDF rule were now in the Union Rural Development Ministry, implying that they would be influencing the decisions taken by Jayaram Ramesh.

Biennale Fest

About the Kochi-Muziris Biennale-2012 fest, he said the state government departments would associate with the fest but no government funds would be allotted for its conduct.

 “Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF), the organisers of the event, was allotted Rs 5 crore by the LDF government in 2010, but it has been found out that the KBF has not maintained a proper account of the funds. A report regarding this would be kept for discussion in the cabinet meet to be held on Wednesday. The Cabinet will decide whether to take any action against the foundation,” he said.