The Hindu     12.07.2016  

Civic body better placed to implement projects: Mayor

: Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V.K. Prasanth said here on
Monday that the city would benefit through projects costing Rs.2,000
crore that have been announced in the State budget for 2016-17.

Addressing
mediapersons, Mr. Prasanth was confident that the ‘unprecedented’
budgetary allocation would spur the development of the State capital as
it addressed several limitations faced by the civic body. “Paucity of
funds has for long been an obstacle to local bodies in planning
development projects. The announcement that local self-government
institutions would be permitted to raise funds by issuing bonds would be
beneficial,” he said.

Moreover, the revival of the
E.M.S. housing scheme and the M.N. Laksham Veedu project has come as a
shot in the arm for the Corporation’s endeavour to provide housing for
all. “We have faced several limitations while implementing the project
under the strict guidelines of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
The government initiative would enable us to provide houses for all,
including those who do not possess land,” he pointed out.

He
added that the previous United Democratic Front (UDF) government had
placed the responsibility of providing the hike in wages of anganwadi
workers on the respective local body. The announcement made in the
revised budget that half of this hiked amount would be borne by the
government had brought relief to the Corporation. Mr. Prasanth said the
proposed underpass at Pattom and Peroorkada junctions and flyover at
Ulloor and Kumarapuram would resolve traffic congestion, along with the
allocation made for the second phase of the Karamana-Kaliyikkavila NH
widening project.

Besides the proposed development of
the Veli and Akkulam tourist villages, the tourist potential of Sree
Padmanabhaswamy Temple will be explored through the feasibility study.

Says budgetary allocation will help Corporation

overcome several

limitations