: The Kochi Corporation council meeting held here on Thursday approved the budget for 2015-16 with amendments that include proposals mooted by the opposition.
The budget was approved after including an additional revenue expectation of Rs. 40 crore and additional expenditure of Rs. 40 crore.
The opposition had submitted alternative proposals in areas like infrastructure, waste management, drinking water and social welfare. Some of its project ideas included comprehensive project for canal and drain cleaning, organic farming initiative, constructing four sewerage treatment plants in the city, replacing street lights with LED lightsrehabilitation package for street vendors, and skywalk projects in four places.
Deputy Mayor B. Bhadra, who presented the budget, said that the additional revenue is expected from property tax (Rs. 10 crore); property tax enforcement (Rs. 10 crore); professional tax (Rs. 10 crore); advertisement tax (Rs. 2 crore); entertainment tax (Rs. 3 crore) and hoarding tax (Rs. 5 crore). The council meet also decided to earmark Rs. 20 crore each for development of roads, bridges and drainage and sewerage works.
The revenue expected this fiscal is Rs. 921.54 crore while the expenditure is Rs. 881.87 crore. The council decided to spend Rs. 4.5 crore for the 40-feet road in Palluruthy and Rs. 1.6 crore for Poyisha Road at Edappally.
