Mayor presents Tiruchirapalli Corp Budget proposals

Tiruchirapalli, Feb 29 (UNI) New proposals for establishing a modern sewage treatment plant, libraries with internet connectivity for school students, a gas-based crematorium and creation of a Geographical Information System (GIS) for project planning were some of the salient features of the Tiruchirapalli City Corporation Budget for 2008-09, presented by Mayor Sarubala R Tondaiman, in an urgent meeting of the corporation here yesterday.

The Budget projects a deficit of Rs 18.92 crore, but the corporation hopes to meet the shortfall with an increase in revenue after the Property Tax revision due from April one.

The Budget projects the civic body's revenue for the next fiscal at Rs 100.25 crore and expenditure at Rs 119.17 crore. The revised estimates for 2007-08 shows a deficit of Rs 14.04 crore, though the Budget for the year had projected a deficit of Rs 18.97 lakh.

The Budget makes a provision of Rs 24.84 crore as the corporation's contribution for the new drinking water supply augmentation scheme to be implemented with financial assistance from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation at a cost of Rs 144.86 crore.

The corporation has planned to improve about 107.28 km road, at a total estimate of about Rs 61.18 crore, by raising loans from the Tamil Nadu Urban Financial and Infrastructure Services Ltd or grants from the Government.

The third crematorium in the city would come up at Manalvarithurai at a cost of Rs 70 lakh, with the Corporation contributing Rs 50 lakh.

The Budget earmarks Rs one crore for setting up a modern sewage treatment plant at Panchapur on the lines of the systems functioning at Navi Mumbai and Panjim.

The TWAD Board submitted a draft plan for extending the underground sewage system to the omitted areas in the city, at a cost of Rs 160 crore, she added.

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