Thiruvananthapuram Corp to present participatory budget today

Thiruvananthapuram: The LDF-led ruling front is all set to present its first ever participatory budget on Monday, however, many of the major announcements in the previous budget remain on paper. Allegations are ripe by opposition parties against the claim of the ruling front to have completed over 60 percent of the project announced in the last budget. As many as 113 projects were announced in the previous budget and many projects are yet to take off. 

With election declaration around the corner, recently the ruling front is on a spree launching and inaugurating various schemes announced in the budget. The civic body has received around 7200 suggestions from the part of the public as part of the participatory campaign.

Mayor V K Prasanth has cracked whip on officials and has given strict direction to speed up the projects. "The officials will be held responsible for the delay as all the projects were cleared several months ago," said an official. While the officials feel that the ruling front is putting unnecessary pressure on them to draw up the projects in short notice so that work order could be issued.

UDF Councillor Anil Kumar said that the claim of the ruling front is totally baseless. "LDF should step down. Apart from road maintenance and drain construction, they haven't done much in most of the wards. All they do is relabel old schemes and fool the public. They announced the Life project, which aims at giving shelter for the homeless. The plan was to construct flats but nothing has materialized. Now they are trying to hijack Prime Ministers Awaz Yojana (PMAY)," said Mr Anil Kumar. BJP leader M R Gopan alleged that the much-trumpeted Life project of the ruling front was a total fiasco. "All they trying to do is hijacking central schemes and relabeling them as their project. The corporation is just chipping in 50,000 Rs of the total Rs 4 lakh announced for the beneficiaries under PMAY scheme. Majority of the projects are a continuation from the previous council," said Mr Gopan. He said that they will come up with a strong protest after studying and comparing this years' budget.