The third annual budget of the Tony Chammany-led Kochi Corporation
Council will be presented on Saturday. Considering the cold war within
the Council in which the I-faction of the Congress along with the
Opposition councillors criticises the Mayor and his team on many
decisions taken during the last six months, this year’s budget session
has an added significance.

Political circles are looking forward
to see whether the Mayor will go for an image makeover by mooting
various development projects in tune with city’s infrastructure
requirements or will go for the usual practice of  announcing some huge
and ambitious projects which will remain on the paper for years.

Mayor
Tony Chammany had earlier made it clear that the civic body would look
into more feasible projects than going behind huge capital-intensive
ones. The Mayor had promised a budget with a realistic approach.

However,
the Opposition of the Kochi Corporation alleged that the UDF-led 
Council had failed in implementing even a single project proposed in the
last two budgets during their stint.

“During the tenure of the
LDF, the then Opposition used to criticise that the LDF will moot 50
projects and execute half of them. But during their  tenure, the UDF has
mooted just 10 projects but hasn’t executed even a single one,” alleged
Opposition councillor M Anilkumar.

Pointing out various proposals
mooted by Deputy Mayor B Bhadra in the last  two budgets, Anilkumar
said all proposals still remain non-starters.

“The
much-talked-about Kochi-First concept was proposed in the debut budget
of the present Council. The plan was to implement various development
projects with the help of various stake holders in city’s development.
But the plan turned out to be a damp squib,” he alleged. Anilkumar said
issues related to solid waste treatment at Brahmapuram, road development
projects like Thammanam-Pulleppady and Mamangalam-Goshree and RoB
projects, including Atlantis, are yet to take off.

The Opposition also demands speedy completion of the new Corporation office that is being constructed near the Goshree bridge.

“Once
the e-Governance system is fully implemented, the present corporation
office and the existing facilities there will prove insufficient. The 
completion of the new building was the primary agenda put forth by Mayor
Tony Chammany when he assumed office. But even after three years, he
was not able to solve the issue and restart the construction,” he
alleged.