THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In what the opposition described as old wine in new bottle, the ruling council on Thursday presented a budget concentrated on decentralised waste management among others for the city corporation. Around Rs 20 crore has been earmarked for waste management and Rs 5 crore has been set aside for Animal Birth Control programmes to end stray dog menace.
The corporation which has been under utilising the capacity of 107 MLD sewage treatment plant at Muttathara has sworn to lay drainage pipelines from more wards into the facility. Presently, only 41 percent (46 MLD) capacity of the plant is being utilised.
Deputy mayor Rakhi Ravikumar presented the plan outlay for the 2016-2017 fiscal with a surplus of Rs 329 crore, compared to the Rs 392-crore surplus in the revised estimate of 2015-2016. The financial statement for 2016-2017 estimates a revenue of Rs 889 crore and expenditure of Rs 1,248 crore. The revised budget for 2015-2016 has shown a total income of Rs 805 crore and an expenditure of just Rs 686 crore.
To minimise parking woes, the corporation has sworn to provide Rs 5 crore for construction of multi-level parking lots at Thampanoor, Vaniyamkulam, Palayam. 'Pothole' project worth '2 crore involved creating an efficient system to do quick patch work on potholes.
It set aside Rs 25 crore for the modern abattoir at Kunnukuzhy. The facility touted to be one of the largest in the country will be inaugurated next year, it claimed. Around Rs 50 crore, mostly central funds, have been earmarked for housing. Mayor V.K. Prasanth has hinted at difficulties to use central funds as they are not tailor-made for homeless in the state.
“While central funds were available for building 300 square feet house for homeless, the beneficiaries in our state regard this as too less a floor space to live in. So, we are continuing to convince centre to change requirements to suit our need,” he said.
100 thattukadas for women
Rakhi Ravikumar, the woman deputy mayor that the corporation had got after a gap of many decades, has come up with a host of women-friendly projects including Thattukadas to be run by women. The corporation, which had faced a “separatist” threat from fringe wards like Kazhakoottam, has also announced projects for new wards.
Around 100 women’s mobile Thattukadas will be started at a cost of Rs 50 lakh. Kudumb_ashree workers will supply food from here at a nominal rate across the city. Their timing and locations are yet to be decided. Martial arts will be taught to girl students at the cost of Rs 10 lakh and yoga will be taught to women through Kudumbashree units.
Similarly, GPS enabled electric she-taxis, and she-autorickshaws will be provided at the cost of Rs 50 lakh. ‘Lady Birds’ project involves giving bicycles to needy Class X students at a cost of Rs 10 lakh. Agni Sakshi programme involves mass marriages to help women from low-income families to find right suitor.
Fringe wards
Cycle pathway will be created between Technopark and Kazhakoottam at the cost of Rs 10 lakh, and the Kazhakoottam crematorium will be developed on the lines of Shanthi Kavadam at Thycaud. A comprehensive design will be made to make a gas crematorium within limited space at the cost of Rs 2 crore.
To address the drinking water and electricity issues, mostly in remote wards, corporation has started a Rs 25 crore project called Surabhi. Many divisions such as Punchakkari and Vizhinjam face water shortage.
Rs 50 lakh for Ward Kendras
Amidst frequent complaints related to the delivery of services of the corporation and its zonal offices, the new ruling council has sworn to decentralise them. All the 100 wards will get empowered Ward Kendras, which will coordinate services such as the issuance of certificates and benefits to people there. Around Rs 50 lakh had been earmarked to implement the project.
“The concept of local self-government body itself is to decentralise governance. However, now all people have to depend directly on corporation office, and the spirit of decentralisation takes a blow. So we will develop existing ward offices and give enough infrastructures and make them self-sufficient with the help of information technology,” mayor V. K. Prasanth said at a press conference after the budget.
Ward level interaction with citizens will also be boosted by rejuvenating Ward Sabhas. Similarly, under a project named Sutharyatha, Rs 5 lakh will be allotted to set up video conference facilities between the corporation and all its zonal offices. Budget earmarked Rs 50 lakh to improve facilities in respective health inspector offices.
