Drinking water projects, road development, and housing received priority in the Budget of the Alappuzha municipality for 2022-23 presented on Wednesday.
The ₹3.19-crore surplus Budget, with a revenue of ₹256.51 crore and expenditure of ₹253.32 crore, was presented by vice chairman P.S.M. Hussain.
The Budget has set aside ₹41 crore for tackling drinking water shortage in the civic body. Presenting the Budget, Mr. Hussain said all obsolete pipelines would be replaced. Besides, 30 km of new pipelines would be laid. The Budget promises to provide 22,000 new water connections.
A sum of ₹30 crore has been earmarked for improving road connectivity in Alappuzha town. The Budget envisages construction of new city roads and reconstruction of old ones.
With the aim of becoming a zero-homeless municipality, the Budget has allocated ₹25 crore for building houses for land-holding homeless people. The Budget proposes various projects to increase agriculture production.
Mr. Hussain said seeds and fertilizers would be provided free of cost to paddy farmers. The Budget suggests various schemes for women's empowerment. The projects announced aim to create more jobs, increase income, and rising the social status of women.
A sum of ₹3 crore has been set aside for implementing a project for septage treatment in houseboats. A sewage treatment plant will be constructed at the Government General Hospital, Alappuzha, at a cost of ₹3 crore. A sum of ₹6.25 crore will be spent on buying a mobile unit and other facilities for the management of human waste.
The Alappuzha Town Hall will be reconstructed by spending ₹3 crore. An amount of ₹3 crore has been earmarked for the construction of a modern fish market. A modern slaughterhouse will be constructed at a cost of ₹2 crore. A sum of ₹2 crore has been set aside for the completion of the centenary building of the Alappuzha municipality.
The Budget has allocated ₹1 crore each for a youth hostel and buying land and construction of buildings for anganwadis. Water kiosks will be set up in 42 schools within the municipal limits by spending ₹1 crore. An amount of ₹50 lakh is earmarked for converting Mullakkal into a heritage street. A new dialysis machine and kit will be made available at the General Hospital at ₹50 lakh.
The Budget proposes to launch the Alleppey Super League consisting of cricket, football, hockey and basketball and set up a foundation in memory of Vadappuram Bava (founding leader of the Travancore Labour Association).
The municipality also moots the formation of a happiness department to ensure the welfare of members of senior citizen clubs, widows, students, mothers of differently abled children and inmates of Shanthimandiram.
