The Alappuzha Municipality has provided thrust to promoting agriculture and strengthening waste management in its budget estimate for the year 2015-16.
The budget, presented by Municipal vice-chairman and chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance B. Ansari, expects a total revenue of Rs. 89.94 crore and a total expenditure of Rs. 84.66 crore, thereby denoting a surplus of Rs. 5.28 crore.
The budget aims at extending assistance for farmers in the 13 paddy polders that come within the municipal area. Funds have been allocated for setting up basic facilities required for the cultivation of the ‘puncha’ and additional crops. While Rs. 1 crore has been earmarked for paddy farming, additional allocations have also been made to encourage vegetable and plantain cultivation. Efforts will also be made to bring fallow land under cultivation and to promote organic and terrace farming.
Among the major initiatives envisaged for waste management, the budget has earmarked Rs. 1.80 crore for setting up aerobic compost units in all wards of the municipality. Moreover, the availability of biogas plants and pipe composts will be ensured to achieve total sanitation in the municipal area.
An allocation of Rs. 1 crore has been made for establishing reverse osmosis (RO) water plants at 10 points within the municipal area. The budget also touches upon the issue of stray dog menace being faced by the residents. The municipality proposes to establish the infrastructural facilities required for the mass surgical sterilisation of stray dogs through the Animal Birth Control programme. An amount of Rs. 40 lakh has been allocated for the project. The discussions on the budget will be held on Monday.
Meanwhile, the council hall was the venue of noisy scenes that threatened to disrupt the presentation of the budget. Prior to the budget session, opposition councillors representing the United Democratic Front (UDF) alleged that the ruling front had failed to present the municipal accounts pertaining to the previous six months in the council for discussions and approval. Despite the attempts made by the Chairperson Mercy Diana Macido to resolve the issue, the opposition members raised slogans and held up placards and banners against the ruling front.
