Proposals on establishing a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Park, smart toilets, installation of incinerators in each of the four zones, development of model schools and creating dense forests in each zone are some of the salient features of the Tiruchirapalli City Corporation Budget for 2020-21.
The Budget estimates, released by the Corporation Commission S. Sivasubramanian, in the absence of an elected corporation council on Thursday, projects the civic body’s total revenue for the 2020-21 financial year at ₹1335.47 crore and expenditure at ₹1335.04 crore, leaving a surplus of ₹42.65 lakh.
With the Smart City Mission under implementation, the Budget expects the infusion of capital funds to almost double this year to touch ₹1029 crore against the ₹526 crore shown in the revised estimates for 2019-20. The Corporation expects another ₹100 crore from the National Urban Livelihood Mission and ₹200 crore from the National Urban Health Mission. The Corporation revenue receipts are projected at ₹228.90 crore.
Prominent under the projects to be taken up with the Corporation’s General Funds are the move to create dense forests in each of the four zones, at an estimate of ₹40 lakh, as an environment protection initiative. The urban forests would be established depending on the availability of space and apparently adopting the Miyawaki method of afforestation.
Besides establishing 17 more micro compost yards in different parts of the city, in addition to the existing 32, the civic body has also planned to install incinerators – one each at the four zones in the city – at a cost of ₹16 crore. The Corporation would also select one of its schools in each zone to develop it as model schools with all modern infrastructure and amenities. The Corporation would spend about ₹75 lakh on the project.
Under the Smart City Mission, the Corporation has planned to establish a STEM Park at Panchakarai on the banks Kollidam river, at an estimate of ₹14.90 crore, and name it after Sir C.V.Raman. It spend about ₹294 lakh on river front development works along the Cauvery river.
The civic body would also build a multi-level car parking at Kaliamman Kovil Street in Mainguard Gate area at a cost of ₹6 crore and four Smart Toilets in the city at an estimate of ₹60 lakh.
The Corporation would incur an expenditure of ₹269 crore for building underground sewer lines, ₹105.62 crore for improving drinking water supply (Smart Water Supply Scheme-I and II) and ₹16.50 crore on strengthening road network under Area Based Development (ABD) under the Smart City Mission during the year.
The damaged foot bridge carrying the drinking water pumping mains from the collector well of the Kambarasampettai head works on the Cauvery river would be rebuilt at a cost of ₹166 lakh.
The Corporation Budget, however, remains silent on the proposed integrated bus stand in the city. Corporation sources said that a government announcement on the choice of location for the bus stand was expected and only after that the civic body could go ahead with firming up the plan.