Corporation wastes funds of Rs 4 lakh

KOCHI: The Corporation, which has always blamed the unavailability of funds to fuel its social welfare institutions, has virtually wasted as much as Rs 4 lakh from the 2011-12 budget which could been used to fund an old-age home last year.As per the assistance to Local Self Government Institutions, a sum of Rs 4,12,000 is provided every year by the social welfare department for the maintenance of an old-age home of a capacity of 25 persons. This includes the salaries for all employees. It also provides for the total food, medicines, clothes and other daily requirements of the inmates. As per the social welfare department, the estimated cost of maintenance for a period of one year for an old-age home with a strength of 25 persons is Rs 5,57,000. Under this scheme, after the department pays up Rs 4,12,000, the Corporation would only have to fund Rs 1,45,000. This means that if the Corporation would a make one time investment to construct an old-age home for 25 persons or convert an existing unused building into one, the rest of the maintenance can be undertaken by the funds from the scheme.Meanwhile, the Corporation members assured coming up with a building next year. “The biggest hurdle is the unavailability of the officials to whom an old-age home can be entrusted. In the next plan, we hope to utilise the fund and include at least one day care establishment for the aged,” said Essy Joseph, Chairman, Corporation Welfare Committee.As of now, there is only one Kochi Corporation managed old-age home with a capacity of 33 inmates, in the city.