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.