Giving stress on infrastructure development, the Kothamangalam Municipality on Monday presented the annual budget for the 2014-15 fiscal. The budget, presented by municipal vice-chairperson Prameela Sunny, at a council meeting here envisaged a revenue of `24.52 crore and an expenditure of `23.76 crore.
The budget mainly lays stress on construction of municipal roads, bus stands, municipal town hall, rest house, streetlights and town development. Apart from these, welfare activities, total pension scheme, women empowerment and development scheme for Scheduled Tribe and elderly persons were also mooted by the municipality.
For constructing a market-cum-shopping complex at Kothamangalam town, the municipality has set apart `4.9 crore in the budget. An amount of `4.9 crore has also been earmarked for the proposed municipal town hall. The budget has announced a modernised crematorium and an amount of `65 lakh was set aside for the same.
For the development of junctions in the town, a sum of `5.93 lakh has been earmarked. The budget proposes a night shelter for the public and a bus stand in the high-range area. An amount of `50 lakh was allocated for junction widening activities and `40 lakhs for the latter.
The municipality has also mooted a bus shelter at Thankalam with a budget allocation of `10 lakh. The civic body also proposes setting up of modernised slaughter houses and an amount of `40 lakh has been earmarked for the same.
The civic body announced projects for setting up mini stadia at Kuthukuzhi and Puthuppady and `10 lakh was set aside for this. Giving stress on welfare projects, the municipality has earmarked `8 lakhs for housing projects under EMS Housing Project and `84 lakh for implementing welfare schemes for poverty eradication.
For executing welfare project for Scheduled Tribes, `64 lakh was set aside and another `47 lakh for various projects aiming at women empowerment.
Moreover, the budget has also given stress on agricultural sector earmarking an amount of `26 lakh for implementation of schemes. For the public works in all wards, `3.84 crore has been earmarked in the budget. The municipality has also earmarked amounts for renovation of municipal roads and street lights in the annual budget and `75 lakh for effective implementation of employment guaranteed programme under the
MNREGP.