Thrissur: The budget presented by Finance Minister Dr T.M. Thomas Isaac has evoked mixed reactions from the ruling and opposition members in Thrissur Corporation council. The ruling CPM members said that they were satisfied with the projects sanctioned specifically for Thrissur town and corporation. The general proposals to increase the plan fund and proposals for health sector for the entire state were also welcome, they said.
“The sanctioning of flyovers in East Fort, Nedupuzha along with the allocation of Rs 20 crore for the Corporation slaughter house in Kuriyachira and Vanchikkulam-Chettuva parallel road are on expected lines,” deputy mayor Varghese Kandamkulathy told DC. “Besides that, the increase in the plan fund of the local bodies along with the announcement to post more doctors and staff nurses will augur well for the hospitals in the corporation limit. We are expecting more than 100 new doctors in the government hospitals in the corporation limits.”
There are some projects like sewage treatment plant near Vanjikkulam which would cost more than Rs 10 crore which did not get mentioned in the budget. The detailed project report of the project was yet to be prepared. The corporation would sanction funds to start all such projects and could seek funds from state government later, he added.
The opposition, however, termed it only a formality. Opposition leader M.K. Mukundan said the budget failed to deliver funds for the dream projects of the corporation such as enhancing facilities at General Hospital, Laloor multi-purpose sports complex, development of Sakthan Nagar along with fruit and vegetable market, West Fort flyover, MG Road widening, peripheral and inner peripheral road and Kokkalai-Vanchikkulam flyover, among other projects. “The failure to get funds for such projects could be seen as the failure of the ruling LDF in the council and also that of MLA and minister V.S. Sunil Kumar,” he said.
