Proposals on establishing bicycle lanes on three arterial roads in the city, pedestrian pavements around the Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple, revival of the Thillai Nagar market, and construction of a new market at Kattur Pappakurichi and establishment of a bio-methanisation plant to generate energy from waste are some of the salient features of the Tiruchirapalli City Corporation Budget for 2014-15.
The Budget estimates, tabled at an urgent meeting of the corporation council chaired by Mayor A. Jaya here on Wednesday, project the civic body’s total revenue for the next financial year at Rs. 304.46 crore and expenditure at Rs. 316.51 crore, leaving a deficit of Rs.12.05 crore.
The Corporation has managed to wipe out a substantial portion of the budgetary deficit for the current financial year.
Tabling the revised estimates for 2013-14 along with the budget, V. Ayyappan, chairman, Standing Committee on Taxation and Finance, said the deficit for this year will be Rs.1.54 crore against the Budget estimate of Rs.18.36 crore. The revision of professional tax and other tariffs and better revenue receipts during the year has helped reduce the deficit.
The corporation hopes to bridge the deficit for the next financial year too by improving tax collection by introducing online tax payment system, provision of new drinking water and drainage connections, collection of water charges every quarter, and recovering tax arrears, he said.
However, with nearly 53 per cent of the revenue going towards salary and pension payments, the civic body will depend heavily on the devolution of funds from the State government, which accounts for 38 per cent of its revenue receipts. Property tax will contribute 20 per cent of its revenue.
Prominent among the Budget proposals will be move to create bicycle lanes along the Salai Road in Srirangam, the Karur Bypass, and Rajaram Salai in K.K. Nagar.
The measures are part of the civic body’s plans to reduce pollution and traffic congestion. Pavements will be laid using paver blocks on the East Uthira Veedhi, Vadaku Vasal, Keezha Vasal, and Mela Vasal roads around the Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple. Storm-water drains would be built along the pavements. The corporation has firmed up its proposal to revive and rebuild the Thillai Nagar market, which had been lying in disuse for over two decades. A proposal for rebuilding the market at a cost of Rs. 19 crore is awaiting administrative sanction from the government.
The civic body will build a daily market at Kattur Pappakurichi, a newly added area, at a cost of Rs. 50 lakh and also carry out repair and renovation works at the Puthur and Woraiyur markets.
Fish market Work on building a fish market by the Kerala State Coastal Area Development Corporation at Kasivilangi in Woraiyur will begin this year.
A modern goat slaughterhouse would be built adjacent to the cow slaughterhouse at G. Corner with assistance from the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries and the State government.
The corporation will set up a bio-methane plant at Ambedkar Nagar to generate power from the organic waste generated at the Gandhi Market at a cost of Rs. 90 lakh.
The council will take up the budget for discussion on Friday.
Maternity centre to get bigger
Seeking to give a push to strengthening health services, the city Corporation has proposed to upgrade its maternity centre at Woraiyur in the city.
The maternity hospital, which is patronised widely by middle and low income group families, is currently facing a space crunch in the existing building. The corporation, in its Budget for 2014-15, proposes to construct a new building on the land available adjacent to the hospital and upgrade the hospital into a first grade maternity centre with all necessary equipment and facilities.The Corporation maternity centre at Periyamilaguparai will get a new building.
All maternity centres will be provided with medical and other equipment including baby warmers, pulse oxymeters, fire extinguishers, and reverse osmosis water filtering units. The budget makes a total allocation of Rs.1 crore for the purpose.
