Building a park in each ward, keeping fixed deposit for girl children of BPL families born in government hospitals, constructing a crematorium for stray animals and birds, and promoting Tulu language and activities are among the 12 special schemes announced by the ruling BJP in Mangaluru City Corporation council in the Budget for 2023-24 presented in the meeting of the council on Thursday.
The special schemes were announced ahead of the coming Assembly elections as 38 wards of the 60 wards in the corporation constituted the entire Mangaluru City South Assembly constituency. The remaining 22 wards are under Mangaluru City North Assembly constituency.
The corporation allocated ₹60 lakh for constructing a park in each of its 60 wards with a slogan ‘grow green to keep our city clean’. However, while speaking on the Budget, Congress member A.C. Vinayraj questioned how a park be built in ₹1 lakh in each ward.
The corporation allocated ₹25 lakh for keeping fixed deposits in the name of girl children born to BPL families in government hospitals. Named ‘Mangaluru Sri Lakshmi Yojanae’, the deposit will be kept either in nationalised banks or in post offices. The scheme applies only to the first child (in case if it is a girl child) of a family or to the second child (if it is a girl) of parents who already have one child.
Chairman of the Standing Committee for Taxation, Finance, and Appeals Kishore Kottari said ₹25 lakh has been reserved for building a crematorium for stray animals and birds. The amount will also be utilised for catching and transporting poisonous snakes and to grant funds to those institutions and individuals who are into conservation of animals and birds.
He said ₹5 lakh has been reserved to encourage the innovations and research projects of common people from unconventional background under the title ‘scientist among common people’.
Mr. Kottari said that another ₹5 lakh has been allocated to create awareness among people through demonstrations and street plays on compost units in houses and apartments and make the city plastic free.
Desilting of waterbodies
Mr. Kottari said ₹5 lakh has been allocated to extend financial assistance to Kannada-medium students who scored 90% and above marks in class X examination. Another ₹5 lakh has been reserved to provide health kits and medicine kits to women from economically weaker sections. It has allocated ₹25 lakhs for desilting and rejuvenation of water bodies. In addition, ₹5 lakh has been reserved to provide financial assistance to the families of defence personnel who died while on duty.
The special schemes also covered introducing health insurance scheme to staff of the corporation for which ₹35 lakh has been reserved. The Budget reserved ₹10 lakh to provide incentive to those who have worked for the promotion of Tulu language, culture, theatre, and arts.
