CHENNAI: Storm water drains, bridges and solid waste management get major focus in the Chennai Corporation budget that was presented on Saturday at the Ripon building.
Stormwater drains received an allocation of Rs 1235 crores under various schemes, bridges received Rs 221.3 crores and Rs 424 crores for solid waste management in the Rs 789-crore deficit budget.
The city is to get three dialysis centres this year at a cost of Rs 3.5 crores which are to be further scaled up to one centre per zone, announced Mayor R Priya during the budget presentation. The city corporation has also planned to increase outpatients to its hospitals and health centres by 10%. The city corporation will establish three new homeless shelters this year at an estimated cost of Rs 2.4 crores.
Amidst complaints of family members interfering in the duties of women councillors, the councillors are to be trained by city corporation officials belonging to various departments.
In addition, 4681 street signs on bus routes and interior roads are to be digitised at a cost of Rs 8.43 crores under Singara Chennai 2.0, the mayor announced. Under the same scheme, the city is also set to get 26 water fountains in various zones. In order to bring in advertising revenue of Rs 52.26 crores, 1000 bus shelters are to be constructed or renovated under the Built, Operate and Transfer model.
As far as solid waste management is concerned, the city is to get incinerators with a 50 MT capacity to handle 16,500 MT of non-recyclable waste, in order to reduce waste ending up at landfills.
Under AMRUT, tanks and lakes including Manali lake, Sathangadu lake, Sadaiyankuppam lake are to be maintained at a cost of Rs 143 crores.
City corporation schools will have gender equality group activities to drive home the need for gender equality among students through various activities. The city corporation has been offering breakfast to corporation school students in 23 schools on a trial basis through NGOs. Similarly, students were trained in spoken English in 20 schools on a trial basis. The initiatives are to be now expanded to other schools.
The estimated revenue receipts for the year 2022-23 is Rs 2,824.77 crores and revenue expenditure was at Rs 3,613.35 crores.