The Hindu     12.07.2016  

Civic body better placed to implement projects: Mayor

: Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V.K. Prasanth said here on Monday that the city would benefit through projects costing Rs.2,000 crore that have been announced in the State budget for 2016-17.

Addressing mediapersons, Mr. Prasanth was confident that the ‘unprecedented’ budgetary allocation would spur the development of the State capital as it addressed several limitations faced by the civic body. “Paucity of funds has for long been an obstacle to local bodies in planning development projects. The announcement that local self-government institutions would be permitted to raise funds by issuing bonds would be beneficial,” he said.

Moreover, the revival of the E.M.S. housing scheme and the M.N. Laksham Veedu project has come as a shot in the arm for the Corporation’s endeavour to provide housing for all. “We have faced several limitations while implementing the project under the strict guidelines of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). The government initiative would enable us to provide houses for all, including those who do not possess land,” he pointed out.

He added that the previous United Democratic Front (UDF) government had placed the responsibility of providing the hike in wages of anganwadi workers on the respective local body. The announcement made in the revised budget that half of this hiked amount would be borne by the government had brought relief to the Corporation. Mr. Prasanth said the proposed underpass at Pattom and Peroorkada junctions and flyover at Ulloor and Kumarapuram would resolve traffic congestion, along with the allocation made for the second phase of the Karamana-Kaliyikkavila NH widening project.

Besides the proposed development of the Veli and Akkulam tourist villages, the tourist potential of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple will be explored through the feasibility study.

Says budgetary allocation will help Corporation

overcome several

limitations