ALAPPUZHA: The
budget presented by the Alappuzha
district panchayat
for the fiscal year 2017-2018 on Tuesday gave thrust to agriculture and other production sectors. It has also proposed ‘kumari clubs’ for girls and women, and ‘azhchakoottom’ (weekly gatherings) for the welfare of senior citizens in all wards.
The budget presented by vice-president
Daleema Jojo
expects revenue of Rs 75, 27,70,751 and expenditure of Rs 66,65,51,878. However, opposition leader
John Thomas said that the budget of the district panchayat was not even up to the standard of gram panchayat budgets. He alleged that there were no projects in the budget that gave long-term benefits to the people of the district.
The budget has set aside Rs 10 crore for executing various projects in the production sector. A sum of Rs 2.5 crore will be spent on paddy farming and Rs 1.75 crore has been earmarked for wet-land preservation. The coconut farming and dairy development sector will get Rs 50 lakh each. A sum of Rs 50 lakh will be spent for the development of small-scale industries.
In education sector, the district panchayat will spend Rs 2 crore for high school education. For the renovation of schools, Rs 4.75 crore has been earmarked. A sum of Rs 1 crore will be spent for the preservation and promotion of the culture and another Rs 1 crore will be spent for distribution of potable water. Waste treatment projects will get Rs 50 lakh. The modernization of crematoriums will be executed spending Rs 50 lakh.
Alappuzha
district panchayat will execute a new project christened `Life' for giving home and job for the homeless people in the district. This project will get Rs 1 crore. A sum of Rs 2 crore will be spent for the welfare of senior citizens.
The aim of ‘kumari clubs’ is to carry out various activities to ensure safety of teenage girls and women in the society. The clubs will be set-up in all the wards under social justice department. The clubs will train its members in sports, martial arts, cultural programmes, IT, Spoken English, agriculture and self- employment. The social justice department will also arrange counselling for the members of the clubs.
As per the ‘azhchakoottom’ project, the senior members can meet in their locality once a week and the local bodies concerned will arrange all the facilities for this purpose.
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