THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The City Corporation passed the budget for 2012-13 by adding eight new proposals to the draft which was presented on Monday. The UDF staged a walkout at the end of the budget session when its demand to hike the tax concession awarded to households for installing decentralised solid waste management system, from one per cent to five percent, was turned down by the Council through voting. The Nagarajyoti project, which envisages total electrification and water supply projects in coastal areas, has been given an additional Rs one crore. The new proposals mooted include a Rs one crore project for housing for Scheduled Castes. A training unit for Corporation employees has been allotted Rs one crore, while another Rs 5 lakh has been set aside for their training. An amount of Rs 50 lakh has been allotted for construction of quarters for Corporation employees.On a suggestion put forward by Welfare Standing Committee chairman Palayam Rajan, the women safety project was okayed by the Council. An amount of Rs 50 lakh has been allotted for women’s short stay home and another Rs 50 lakh for night shelter for women. For the land acquisition of Thirumala market, an amount of Rs 25 lakh has been allotted. The long-time demand of the women councillors in the Corporation for a rest room has been granted, for which Rs 5 lakh has been sanctioned. During the discussions, the sprouting of illegal hoardings in the city was mentioned. The councillors wanted strict action to enforce the law on the fee for hoardings. There should be action against tax defaulters, they said. The UDF members said that the tax concession announced for households which install solid waste mechanism should be increased from one to five per cent. However, the Mayor put the demand to vote and it was voted out, which led to a walkout by the UDF members.
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