New budget expected to be women-centric

Friday, 08 March 2013 06:12 administrator
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The Times of India                           08.03.2013 

New budget expected to be women-centric

COIMBATORE: City residents, especially the womenfolk, will have something to cheer about in the coming corporation budget. The civic body has formulated elaborate plans for ensuring the development of women and enhancing their safety. Sources indicated that though the budget will focus on city development both in terms of better basic amenities and infrastructure, equal weight will be allocated for the betterment of women in the upcoming budget.

This could be the first time the civic body is planning to specifically focus on women and girl students in a major way, although budgetary allocations have been made in the past for the benefit of students and youth. The only girl specific announcement in the previous budget was the allocation of Rs 15 lakh for installing additional sanitary napkin vending machines and incinerators for girl students in six high schools and 14 corporation middle schools.

The proposed corporation budget is expected to have allocations for extending special training in self defence techniques especially for girl children studying in corporation schools. A separate budgetary allocation could be expected for this purpose in the financial document for 2013-14 which will be officially presented after the second week of March. Apart from education, the health sector could also have some allocations made with special focus on women and child welfare. Sources in the corporation indicated that other development and welfare schemes specifically for women will be included in the corporation budget.

Improving the streetlight and road facilities in newly added areas could also have an indirect bearing on the safe movement of residents including women in corporation limits.

Last Updated on Friday, 08 March 2013 06:16