KOCHI: Soon the Ro-Ro Jetties at Fort Kochi and Vypeen will get an exclusive parking space for the vehicles as the Kochi Corporation has decided to put forth a proposal for the same in the 2019-20 annual plan project.
Mayor Soumini Jain announced the decision to prepare a project to end the parking problems for the vehicles which use the Ro-Ro vessels. “Already, the City Corporation is facing a case for not setting up a parking space at both jetties. In order to avoid this and to provide more facilities for the passengers, we have included a proposal for setting up a parking space at Fort Kochi and Vypeen,” said Soumini while replying in the special council session convened to discuss the proposed annual projects worth `148.38 crore for the 2019 – 2020 financial year to be implemented in the city.
Fund allocation for the Corporation’s new office, renovation of Libra Hotel, crematorium for stray dogs, street vending zone, avoiding Pullepady toll, LED lighting in the city, 40-feet road and Chambakkara market renovation are the other projects which the Corporation has decided to submit before the District Planning Commission.
Though the civic body has prepared the final project plan with 1,121 projects, it will later cut short the projects which will also come under the Smart City Mission. Area mapping, the formation of a disaster management force, swimming training programmes, mapping of oil and gas pipeline network passing through the city areas, launching a red alert mobile app and preparing a bio-diversity register are the major projects to be implemented in the city using the annual fund projects.
The Corporation has to get the District Planning Committee’s approval before December 31. As per the earlier plan, the Corporation has identified 20 different sectors for implementing the annual plan fund projects by using both Central and state funds.
The civic body will also get Rs 22.59 crore as allocation for road maintenance works and Rs12.21 crore for non-road works. For the fiscal, the Corporation has Rs 56 crore as development fund and Rs 47.53 crore as allocation from Financial Commission.
Meanwhile, the council also witnessed a heated debate on Tuesday with Opposition councillors coming down against the lackadaisical attitude of the civic body to implement the projects announced earlier.