After languishing at the bottom until the start of this month, drawing sharp criticism from the opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF), Kochi Corporation has surged to the top of the list of Corporations in the State in Plan fund utilisation during 2025–26.
According to the Local Self-Government department’s dashboard on Friday, Kochi Corporation’s Plan fund expenditure stood at 66.42%, with ₹65.48 crore spent out of the total allocation of ₹98.58 crore. At the beginning of the month, utilisation was below 50%. Kochi was followed by Kollam Corporation (65.98%), Thrissur (58.64%), Kozhikode (58.22%), Kannur (57.22%), and Thiruvananthapuram (54.22%).
Speaking to the media on Friday, Mayor V.K. Minimol demanded an apology from those who, she alleged, misled the public about the Corporation’s performance. She accused certain media outlets and CPI(M) leaders of concealing facts and spreading misinformation that Kochi was lagging in Plan fund utilisation.
By December, Kochi Corporation had spent only 23% of its Plan fund. Since the new UDF council assumed office, the Corporation managed to utilise an additional 43% within two-and-a-half months. The total allocation amounts to ₹98.28 crore, disbursed in three instalments of ₹32.86 crore each. Of these, the government released only two instalments, which the Corporation fully utilised.
