Kochi: The annual budget of the Ernakulam district panchayat for 2018–19 fiscal that was presented by vice-president Abdul Muthalib on Wednesday gave topmost priority to sectors like infrastructure development, social welfare and health.
The third budget of the UDF-led panchayat council expects income of Rs 156.49 crore and an expenditure of Rs 155.92 crore, making it a surplus budget of Rs 56.23 lakh.
Some of the major allocations in the budget are Rs 23.12 crore for the development sector, Rs 51.52 for public works, Rs 18.32 crore for social justice projects, Rs 12.96 crore for education, Rs 11.09 for health, Rs 6.74 crore for women’s development and Rs 21.13 crore for SC/ST development.
Giving a thrust to the agriculture sector, several projects including integrated soil conservation project (Rs 2 crore), integrated coconut farming (Rs 30 lakhs), sustainable paddy cultivation scheme (Rs 3.7 crore) and paddy and prawn project (Theera Samrudhi – Rs 20 lakhs) have been announced. Funds have also been allocated to farms and seed development centres in the district. '1 crore has been earmarked for Dhavala Dhara, the dairy development scheme.
The ‘Periyar bottled drinking water’ project announced in the previous budget will be introduced this year.
The Aluva district hospital has been allotted Rs 2 crore to set up an advanced hi-tech medical trauma care unit. An advanced paediatric medical ICU will also be set up in the hospital at a cost of Rs 50 lakh. Funds have also been earmarked for palliative care projects, development of Ayurveda and Homoeo hospitals, lifestyle disease prevention project, mobile crematorium, construction of public toilets and public drinking water schemes.
