The Hindu                    14.03.2013

Budget passed with some tweaks

Staff Reporter 

The annual financial outlay of Rs.1,076 crore of the
Corporation was passed amid slogan-shouting by the Opposition United
Democratic Front (UDF) councillors on Wednesday.

Addressing
a press meet after the session, Mayor K. Chandrika said certain new
proposals, such as additional allocation for establishing garbage
treatment plants, and setting up of a park, home for senior citizens,
de-addiction centre, café and medical shop, had been included in the
budget. A portion of the total sum of Rs.50 crore allocated under the
head of public works had been withdrawn and made available for the new
proposals. An additional Rs.6 crore had been allocated for the proposed
garbage treatment plants at Chala, Kazhakuttam, PTP Nagar, and Nemom.
With this, the Corporation’s share towards construction of the plants
had gone up to Rs.10 crore.

The sum had been
allocated in the budget to show the Corporation’s resolve to partner
with the State government in setting up the plant, she said. The plants
could be set up only if the government took the initiative. The cost for
acquiring land and setting up the plant should be borne by the
government. The Corporation’s responsibility was to manage the plant,
she said.

An amount of Rs.25 lakh had been allocated
to develop the quarry sites at Sreekaryam and Kazhakuttam as water
bodies so as to supply drinking water to nearby localities.

A
sum of Rs.15 lakh had been made available for constructing a park at
Pettah, Rs.10 lakh for establishing a de-addiction centre, Rs.10 lakh
for setting up a centre for senior citizens, Rs.10 lakh for a new fair
price medical shop, and Rs.5 lakh for setting up a cafeteria at
Putharikandam Maidanam, she said.

A minor change was
made in the budget speech to incorporate a line requesting the State
government to allow treatment of 90 tonnes of garbage at Vilappilsala as
directed by the Supreme Court, she said.