The budget of the Kochi Corporation for the year 2014 which will be
pre¬sented soon after this year’s State Budget is expected to give
special focus on devel¬oping feeder system for the Kochi Metro Rail. 

This
is the first budget of the Corporation after the commencement of Kochi
Metro Rail works and ac¬cording to a top Corporation official, this
year’s budget is crucial as there are certain infrastructure projects
that need to be completed along with the Metro Rail project.

“The
projects like widen¬ing of the South Railway Over Bridge (RoB), widening
of Thammanam-Pullepady Road, construction of Atlantis RoB,
Goshree-Mamangalam Road and re¬construction of PVS culvert are some of
the key proj¬ects that needs to be com¬pleted along with the Kochi Metro
Rail.

Meanwhile, the Pachalam RoB is another major project. Hence
the Corporation will have to include provisions for these projects in
the budget,” the official said. Meanwhile, some of the key proposals
mooted in last year’s Corporation bud¬get are yet to be materialised.

The
formation of the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) as an
umbrella body to regulate the traffic issues of the city, construction
of new sewage treatment plants, mini sew¬age plants and anti-mosqui¬to
programmes with the sup¬port of the Vector Control Research Institute
were some of the key proposals in the last year’s budget. 

The
Corporation is also planning to launch road development schemes us¬ing
modern technologies, but failed to carry the plan forward. Even the
sugges¬tions mooted during the Road Conclave held two years back were
not imple¬mented. Another non-start¬er is the upgradation of the
existing facilities and the development of the Solid waste Treatment
Plant at Brahmapuarm. 

The Corporation had also promised in its
annual bud¬get a sewerage treatment plant, which will be set up in West
Kochi. Another alloca¬tion for West Kochi was the preparation of Study
Report for Edakochi Sustainable Development Project. “The non starters
are likely to be included in this year’s budget. the main focus will be
on infrastructure development,” the official added.