Kerala - Kochi   

GCDA presents budget amid protest

Staff Reporter

Irregularities in Marine Drive, Manappattiparambu projects alleged

KOCHI: Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) chairman Antony Isaac on Saturday presented the budget for the development authority amid protests against the proposed apartment complex at Marine Drive and shopping mall at Manappattiparambu.

A. Leno Jacob, general council member and general secretary, District Congress Committee, alleged that the work on evicting bunk shops on the 19-cent plot owned by the Authority near KITCO boat jetty and construction of an apartment complex there had been awarded to A. Ansar of K.P.L. Builders without observing procedures such as inviting competitive tenders.

Mr. Isaac said the project was treated as a special one, as it involved eviction of 54 bunk shops. He said the decision was taken following a recommendation by the Director General of Police that the area may become a hub of anti-social activities.

Prof. Isaac said the work had been awarded to the said contractor, as his was the only scheme that had provision for eviction and rehabilitation of existing bunk shops. The proposal had been discussed at the executive council meetings and was presented to the general council before submitting it to the State Government for approval, he said. The project at Manappattiparambu was also considered on special grounds, as it was the first foreign investment proposal presented to the Authority. As per the proposal, the Authority would receive a price of Rs.18 lakhs a cent, he said.

At the executive council meeting held in the morning, K. Babu, MLA, demanded that the issue should be put up for detailed discussion at the executive and general councils. Mercy Williams, Kochi Mayor, and P.S. Shyla, district panchayat president, demanded that construction at the Marine Drive plot be awarded only after inviting tenders.

After Mr. Jacob walked out in protest, Prof. Isaac presented the Rs.10.27-crore surplus budget, with income of Rs.173.35 crores and expenditure of Rs. 163.07 crores.

The budget has allocated Rs.12 crores for roofing of the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium and Rs.73 lakhs for repairing the turf and carrying out other maintenance work at the stadium. A project to renovate Ambedkar Stadium, complete with 100 shops and a gallery, at a cost of Rs.3 crores has been proposed in the budget.

Another major project to be taken up during this year will be the first phase of the 63-km-Ring Road, which is estimated to cost Rs.20 crores. The Pappan Memorial Indoor Stadium will be constructed at Varappuzha at a cost of Rs.50 lakhs and a bus stand will be constructed at Kalamassery. Renovation of the Kottarakadavu park and municipal park at Aluva (Rs.45 lakhs), renovation of Fort Kochi Parade Ground and rebuilding beach park (Rs.95 lakhs), dredging and cleaning of Mantra Canal (Rs.2 crores), approach road to the bridge connecting Panampilly Nagar and Anamthuruthi Bund Road (Rs.80 lakhs), international swimming sports complex at Rameswaram (Rs.3.75 crores) and an aquarium for ornamental fish (Rs.2 lakhs) are the projects featured in the budget. Construction of residential apartments at Kadavanthra, Gandhinagar, Kaloor and Elamkulam West Extension on Build-Share-Transfer basis are also featured in the budget.

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