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The corporation budget for 2008-09 promises to usher in growth with funds coming from the Centre and an Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan. Of the total revenue of Rs. 184.79 crore for the year, the civic body gets Rs. 57 crore from Centrally sponsored schemes and the ADB-aided Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Programme (KSUDP) out of the total capital receipts of Rs. 121.18 crore.

The corporation will get Rs. 14.82 crore from the Plan fund and Rs. 19 crore in loan. Besides, the State government has promised to earmark Rs. 20 crore for city improvement. A majority of the projects will be implemented with private participation.

Mayor M. Bhaskaran says that private participation is necessary to obtain funds from the Centre and international funding agencies.

The Union Ministry of Urban Affairs has been insisting that local bodies implement schemes with the aid of the private sector.

The civic body has to scout for partners for investing and implementing the schemes, the Mayor says.

The KSUDP is one such venture. A Vadakara-based society is implementing the ongoing construction of 12 roads, a flyover and overhauling some of the major junctions in the city. These projects will change the face of the city, Mr. Bhaskaran says.

Deputy Mayor P.T. Abdul Latheef, who presented the budget, says that a sum of Rs. 28.14 crore has been set aside for constructing a drainage network.

External agencies will aid the project. The plan is to complete it in 2012.

The KSUDP has given Rs. 7.34 crore for carrying out a model solid-waste management programme. An amount of Rs. 2.5 crore will be utilised for construction of a drain, compound wall, lechate, treatment plant, container platform and green belt. The budget also allocated Rs. 1.57 crore for improving door-to-door collection of garbage in 55 wards.

A bus terminal has been envisaged on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis at Meenchanda. The corporation has acquired over two acres of land for it. Expression of interest has been invited for setting up a bus terminal at the Government Medical College.

An IT multiplex will be established near the corporation office. The project will be tendered on a BOT basis. Another ambitious scheme is a marketing complex at Kalluthankkadavu. Here, a shopping complex project has also been drawn up.

Prof. Latheef says the Centre has provided Rs. 60 lakh to set up a cultural centre at Annakulam, on 51.4 cents of land. The total cost of the project is Rs. 2.59 crore. Cultural centres will be set up at Thiruvannur and Kannadikkal. An amount of Rs. 1.8 crore has been earmarked for carrying out the expansion of the Town Hall and the Art Gallery.

A community-cum-shopping complex has been envisaged at Kovoor.

The corporation has acquired 1.5 acres of land and the budgetary allocation is Rs. 50 lakh.

An equal amount has been set aside for a playground and a community hall at Karikkamkulam.

Prof. Latheef says the corporation has given a serious thought to developing the parks in the city.

The parks on the beach and at Chakkorathukulam and the Gandhi Park have been handed over to private agencies.

The parks at Karaparamba and Malaparamba, which are under the control of the corporation, will be given a facelift.

A new park will be developed at Karuvassery.

The Mananchira Square will be renovated at a cost of Rs. 75 lakh. The Ansari Park inside the Mananchira Square will be handed over to private agencies. Steps have been taken to speed up the sightseeing gallery and city lake projects at Eravathukunnu.

The budget has proposed to improve the facilities at crematoriums.

A sum of Rs. 15 lakh has been provided to improve facilities at the crematorium at West Hill.

The budget also allocated Rs. 65 lakh for the crematoriums at Mankavu, Puthiyara, Puthiyapalam and Chalathara.

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