India, June 2 -- The central government has refused to release a whopping Rs.3,000 crore-plus worth of funds meant for development works to urban and rural local bodies in the absence of elected representatives in these bodies. The rural local bodies stand deprived of over Rs.1,800 crore while the urban local bodies are waiting for over Rs.1,200 crore to be released as grants from the 15th Finance Commission.

Since elections to local bodies have not been held for over three years on account of various petitions pending in the Supreme Court, most urban and local bodies are governed by administrators who report directly to the state government. All the 29 municipal corporations, 248 municipal councils and 42 of 147 nagar panchayats in urba...