District panchayat budget: Public works gets maximum allocation

KOCHI: Aimed at giving a helping hand to the government’s Rebuild Kerala campaign, the district panchayat budget for 2019-20 unveiled on Friday accords top priority to steps for reviving the farm sector, canals, aqua farming and handloom sector ravaged by mid-August’s flood havoc.  

The surplus budget presented by district panchayat vice-president Abdul Muthalib projects revenue receipts of Rs 171.58 crore and expenditure of Rs 170.72 crore, setting a surplus of  Rs 86.35 lakh after adjusting the reserves.

As with last year’s budget, public works, including the annual maintenance of roads and bridges which have been transferred to the panchayat, received the highest allocation. From the Rs 51.52 crore earmarked last year,  the allocation in this year’s budget went upto Rs 60.52 crore.

The education sector which got Rs 12.51 crore, with digitisation of schools receiving a major chunk. Setting up CCTV cameras in schools,  SMS-based alert system for parents and toilet construction also received top priority in the budget. While Rs 19.62 crore was allocated for social welfare, the development sector got  Rs 17.2 crore, with women’s empowerment and SC/ST welfare receiving Rs 6.25 crore and Rs 18.61 crore, respectively.

“There are several sectors which need major focus. The mud and silt dumped into the paddy fields during the flood, turned the land into a barren expanse. Several canals suffered major damage. Besides many, including the weavers, lost their livelihood. The budget mainly focuses on reviving  lost glory and equipping the district to handle natural calamities. By focusing on the Rebuild Kerala campaign, we aim to bring in comprehensive development.  The budget has earmarked Rs 30 lakh for reviving the handloom sector devastated in floods,” Muthalib told reporters after the budget presentation.

A major highlight of the budget is the Rs 10 lakh set aside for  ‘Flood Hazard Mapping’. “The recent flood was an eye-opener. Drawing a lesson from it, we are planning to prepare an exclusive Flood Hazard Map for the district. The map will  contain details including the height to which the floodwater will rise and the areas likely to get inundated in the event of such a disaster, besides other information.  All the coastal areas and the riverbanks will be included in the map. The digital map will be prepared with the help of  District Disaster Management Authority, Dam Safety Authority, Agriculture Department, Biodiversity Board, National Centre for Earth Science Studies(CESS) and other agencies. It will be designed to help local bodies and other stakeholders to brace themselves for natural disasters,” he said.

Oppn dubs it a flop exercise

Kochi: Though the ruling front hailed the 2019-20 budget presented on Friday, the Opposition dubbed it a failed one. According to the Opposition, most of the projects announced in the budget are nothing more than old wine in new bottle. “There are no novel projects in the budget. Whatever projects they have announced is a repeat of the earlier budget. Though we had proposed building a swimming pool to teach swimming to  the general public, which will come of aid in times of calamities like the flood, it was not included in the proposals. The budget is an flop exercise,” said Anitha Sheelan, Opposition councillor.According to Anitha Sheelan, the coastal areas in the district got a raw deal in the budget. “The major responsibility of the local body is a waste management system. Not a single project is there for the waste management system in the district. Though they have allocated some funds for all the major sectors, it is inadequate. Irrigation projects didn’t get any mention in the budget,” said Shyla P S, Opposition leader.The Opposition claimed the budget is nothing more than the imagination of the ruling front. “Earlier also, they have announced several projects with much fanfare but many of them failed to take off. The bottled water project is a classic example of this as they have scrapped the project,” said the Opposition.