A veil of secrecy surrounds the Coimbatore Corporation head office in Town Hall, where the preparations for this year’s budget is under way.
But outside the office, people want to know the progress of announcements the civic body made in the budgets in the last few years.
The allegation of Councillors and activists is that the corporation has done very little to implement the budget promises.
Meena Loganathan, Councillor (DMK), says that the civic body has done very little in implementing even small promises.
The promise that a library would be established in each of the 100 wards is yet to materialise. So is the proposal to construct office for Councillors.
Even the promise to continuously engage parents of students in corporation schools has not taken off, despite it being a low-cost proposal.
Another Councillor, on condition of anonymity, says that the city is yet to get water under the 24x7 water supply scheme, skywalk at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital and Singanallur junctions, subways and more importantly scheme roads.
There has been no forward movement on the new council hall proposal, either, he adds.
A few AIADMK Councillors admit that very little has been done in the last couple of years to improve the city infrastructure.
While one may put forth reasons like the change in Mayor, transfer of commissioners and deputy commissioner, they may not stand scrutiny.
The Councillors say that proposals for adding more parks, setting up the integrated bus stand, and giving tablet computing devices have not taken off.
And, the ruling party Councillors’ biggest worry is how they will face the electorate in the 2016 local body election, as they have nothing to put forward as their achievements.
Sources in the civic body say that there has been progress in the 24x7 water supply scheme. It will soon be cleared by the Union Government for funds.
As for the new council hall and bus stand, the proposals were at the discussion stage, and they will take off very soon.
CPI leader K. Purushothaman, a former Councillor, says that for people to take the corporation budget seriously, the civic body must concentrate on schemes it can implement using its funds. There is no point in announcing schemes for which it will have to look up to the State and Union Government for resources.
And, it must also take the help of MLAs and MPs for big projects.
