The Hindu 27.03.2013
Budget fails to address drinking water crisis in Alappuzha
The budget of Alappuzha Municipality for 2013-14,
presented by vice-chairman B. Ansari on Tuesday failed to address the
region’s pressing drinking water problem.
However, it
provided some succour to fishermen who are facing various challenges.
Mr. Ansari said the budget would provide Rs.10 lakh to fishermen, inland
and sea, to buy fishing nets, Rs.10 lakh for a sanitation project for
families of fishermen, Rs.3 lakh for providing bicycles to
schoolchildren in fishermen families and Rs.1 lakh for providing them
solar lamps.
The surplus budget shows revenue of Rs 92.41 crore, including carryover from last year, and an expenditure of Rs.81.97 crore.
Alappuzha
is perhaps the only town in the State with no private bus stand. The
budget reiterated the long pending demand for a private bus stand
mentioned in the previous budget and allocated Rs.12 lakh for it.
The
budget seeks to increase revenue by raising taxes on houseboats and
timber, and by constructing building complexes and apartments on plots
owned by the municipality. The budget has not proposed any new Reverse
Osmosis (RO) plants in the town, which is reeling under severe drinking
water crisis.
The budget also envisages a convention
centre near the beach, for which Rs.12 lakh has been allotted. Rs.1
crore has been earmarked for a shopping complex at the municipality plot
in Kongini Chudukkad. A total of Rs.50 lakh has been set apart for
pulling down the existing Sathram shopping complex and building a new
one. A total of Rs.2.5 crore has been set apart for the construction of
fish market at Valiyakulam and a corpus fund of Rs 4.16 crore for road
modernisation in 52 wards.
The municipality has planned to go solar by allotting Rs.25 lakh for setting up solar lamps in slums in the town.
The
second phase of the EMS housing scheme will get Rs.7.5 crore, while
Rs.40 lakh has been allotted for the construction of houses for mentally
challenged persons.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme will get Rs 1.04 crore.
Biogas plants to process waste at its source will be alloted Rs.2 crore.
A
three-day health mela in the municipality is one of the schemes that
have been proposed. Opposition leader Thomas Joseph said the vice
chairman was befooling the people by presenting a ‘repetitive’ budget.
“The
proposal to buy country boats and nets for fishermen is itself nine
years old. The municipality is not interested in implementing the
schemes announced in the budget. The budget is a total failure,” he
said.
The Public Works Standing committee chairman
and LDF Parliamentary leader V.G. Vishnu said the budget was in sync
with the hopes of all sections of people in the municipal area.