Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac's final budget for the V.S. Achuthanandan government has more than enough for his home district of Alappuzha to cheer about. The budget, which has certain components that hinge on realisation of funds allocated for Alappuzha in the previous budget, has provided the district with reasonably sufficient fodder to move forward on the paths of industrial and infrastructure development. The allocations for the Kerala State Drugs and Pharmaceuticals (KSDP) and the Kerala Spinners, which will be re-opened on February 15 as the Komalapuram Spinning and Weaving Mills, are both results of efficient utilisation of funds from the previous budget.
The KSDP was allocated Rs.33 crore for a Non-Beta Lactum factory, which comes in the wake of Rs.34 crore allocated in the 2010-2011 budget for renovation and a new production line. For Kerala Spinners, meanwhile, Rs.30 crore has been allocated for a hosiery unit, which is a continuation of the State Textiles Corporation being able to fully utilise Rs.36 crore earmarked in the previous budget when the State government, in a first-of-its kind move in the country, decided to take over and re-open a firm that ran into losses after being managed by private hands.
The Chethi fishing harbour, which got Rs.2 crore last time, has been given Rs.3 crore this time around for its second phase while the Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Trust, which got Rs.20 lakh last time, has been sanctioned the same amount this time too.
The other major gains for the district are inclusion of the 27 km stretch from Ambalapuzha to Thiruvalla for renovation under the State Highway Package; inclusion of the 20 km stretch from Kayamkulam to Karthikapally for two-laning under the Major District Roads package; inclusion of the Pallathuruthy-Aryad bypass in the Rs.1,000 crore bypass package; Rs.9 crore for the Alappuzha canal de-silting project; a Rs.40 crore outlay for the Alappuzha eastern bypass; Rs.10 crore for initial activities of the Alappuzha Heritage project; Rs.75 crore for outer bund construction in Kuttanad; and Rs.5 crore for a scholarship scheme for higher education of children from orphanages to commemorate the birth centenary of Fr. Reynold Puthenpurackal and a Rs.20 lakh grant-in-aid for the St. Antony's Orphanage founded by him in Alappuzha for commencing a course in interior decoration.
Mr. Isaac has also earmarked Rs.5 crore for cleaning the Kappithode canal, a long-standing environmental issue near Ambalapuzha; Rs.20 lakh each for Thakazhi Memorial and KPAC, Kayamkulam; Rs.10 lakh for Itty Achuthan Vaidyar Memorial at Cherthala; Rs. 25 lakh for Kalavoor Gopinath Volleyball Academy at Kanjikuzhy; Rs.20 lakh for Alappuzha Medical College Hospital's medi-bank; and Rs.1 crore for the T.V. Thomas Memorial Cooperative Hospital.
