KOCHI: The annual budget of Kochi Corporation is likely to be presented by the end of this month, soon after the State government’s budget. It was also learnt that the civic representatives and the Finance Standing Committee of Kochi Corporation are on the final round of budget preparations.According to the sources, the Corporation budget for 2012-13 will give top priority to the implementation of the E-governance project, slum development under Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY), the annuity scheme for roads, the provisions to be made for the revision of taxes and the projects to be included in the second phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal (JNNURM). “The E-Governance project initiated by Kochi Corporation is nearing completion. For the effective implementation, the related facilities like the Corporation offices and other facilities need to be modernised. The budget is expected to give due consideration to this,” said a top Corporation official.He said that along with E-Governance, the budget will also focus on new projects that can be completed by including in the second phase of the JNNURM. “Certain projects included in the first phase of JNNURM are at various stages of completion. The non-starters among the projects will be carried over to the second phase. Along with that, new projects that can be executed with the help of JNNURM have to be drafted in the budget,” the official added.The State government has already instructed the local bodies to give due consideration to the Rajiv Awas Yojana project. “The dream of making Kochi a slum-free city will be included in the budget. RAY mainly provides affordable housing to the urban poor and aims to make the country free of slums. Not only housing facilities but others like drinking water and sewage will also be dealt with,” he added.The civic body is also planning to revise the tax rates in 2012. “It is after a gap of more than 15 years that Kochi Corporation is going to revise the tax rates. The steps to meet the issues related with the revision of tax rates are also likely to be addressed in the budget,” the official said.
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