The Corporation is all set to submit Rs 300-crore worth projects for
the second phase of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Rural Mission
(JNNURM).

Going against its original plan, the civic body has
decided to bifurcate the Ernakulam market renovation and the Broadway
heritage conservation project.

Proposals will be submitted for the renovation of seven markets in the city, at a cost of Rs 32.68 crore.

The
project to prepare an integrated water transport system for the city,
as conceived by the Cities Development Asia Initiative, is estimated at
Rs 36.2 crore. While Ernakulam market renovation is estimated at Rs 15
crore, the Broadway heritage conservation project is estimated at Rs 25
crore.

The estimation for other major projects are as follows: Rs
60 crore to solve waterlogging in west Kochi and Rs 40 crore for the
same in east Kochi, Rs 45 crore for footpath renovation and Rs 30 crore
for solid waste management.

Detailed project reports for these projects were passed in the council meeting of the Corporation on Tuesday.

The proposals will soon be sent to the state government for further approval.

Mayor Tony Chammany said he is hopeful to get approval for the projects in a meeting convened by the Chief Minister next month.

If
approved, the Central Government will fund 50 per cent of the projects,
the state government will fund 30 per cent and the local body will have
to raise the remaining amount.

The local body said it got only Rs
3.34 crore to build houses for financially-backward people while the
actual cost for developing the proposed flat complex of 104 houses under
the BSUP scheme will come around `8 crore.

“Use of gypsum panels
are mooted for constructing houses in the new proposal. It will reduce
the cost by almost 23 per cent,” the Mayor said.