With Mayor S. Soundappan preparing to present the budget for 2015-16 on March 30, Monday, concern among the residents is that most of the announcements made in the last three budgets are yet to materialise.
The Corporation’s last three budgets focused on improving infrastructure, improving roads, establishing parks, completing ongoing projects including Phase I and II of Mettur – Salem Dedicated Water Supply Scheme, Underground Drainage System, Phase II of Thirumanimuthar River Improvement Project, establishing terminal bus stands and renovating Old Bus Stand, modern crematoriums, ring road project, construction of commercial complexes and multi-level parking lots in the city.
Apart from these, all the budgets focused on improving the solid waste management, including scientific processing of dumped garbage in Erumapalayam and Veeranam compost yards and establishing modern plants for processing of municipal waste.
But except for completion of Phase I of the water scheme, most of the projects remain on paper without any progress.
Poor sanitation, poor road condition, absence of toilets in public places, inadequate drinking water supply and poor maintenance of bus stands, dumping of unprocessed garbage by Corporation in open have forced residents in many of the 60 wards to block roads.
Yet, there is no concrete action to resolve the crisis except the police personnel pacifying them for the moment.
Sources said that corporation is unable to bear the cost in establishing and running Amma canteens apart from increasing spending in the operations.
Though funds have been sought from the State government for carrying out various works in the city, the project cost is revised many times and only few works are getting approved.
With acute shortage of funds, the budget to be presented on Monday is expected to have glossy schemes, which like the previous budgets would fail in implementation, sources said.
Among the promises in earlier budgets was construction of multi-level parking lots
All the budgets focused on improving solid waste management in the city
There was also accent on scientific processing of garbage at compost yards
Another promise was for construction of modern plants for processing of waste
Except for completion of Phase I of the water scheme, most of the projects remain on paper, without any progress
