Roads, education, an international convention centre, addressing waterlogging, and houses for all took centre stage in the Kochi Corporation Budget for 2025-26, tabled in the council here on Monday.
The surplus Budget of ₹262.36 crore, presented by Deputy Mayor and finance committee chairperson K.A. Ansiya, anticipated an additional revenue of ₹50 crore through effective financial management interventions.
Road development collectively received ₹169 crore, including an estimated ₹100 crore to be spent through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board for the long-pending Thammanam-Pulleppady Road. The Budget allocated ₹30 crore for implementing a road cluster project to develop and link important roads in the city. Another ₹25 crore has been sanctioned for completing the conversion of the city’s main roads into smart roads.
The Budget proposes a convention centre of international standards at Edappally with an estimated investment of ₹46 crore on 2.57 acres. The cash-guzzling and long-delayed new headquarters of the Corporation has been allocated ₹30 crore. An allocation of ₹20 crore has been made to complete the construction of houses for all applicants under the ‘Kochi Without Homeless’ project.
A sum of ₹20 crore has been earmarked for various projects in the education sector. This includes the development of school infrastructure, cafeterias in all schools, facelift for school grounds, improvement of education quality, the establishment of entrepreneurship development clubs, assistance for differently abled students, nature interpretation clubs in ten selected schools, and the setting up of skill centres.
Resolving waterlogging has been assigned ₹20 crore, including the renovation of ‘petti and para’ systems at five vulnerable locations and the installation of motors to pump out floodwaters at three more locations. The Budget proposes to carry out lake dredging to address tidal flooding in various divisions of the Corporation, using ₹20 crore, including State government assistance.
A cultural complex will be set up on 80 cents at Kacheripady in Ernakulam with an investment of ₹15 crore. The Budget allocates ₹12 crore each for mosquito control activities, the welfare of scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities, and the development of anganwadis. A sum of ₹10 crore each has been assigned for the development and maintenance of parks and public spaces and the renovation of Fort Kochi beach. Another ₹10 crore has been allocated for decentralised waste treatment by setting up more material collection and resource recovery facility centres. The project for making the city free of homelessness and the preparation of a drainage master plan also receive ₹10 crore each.
The Budget also allocates ₹5 crore for issuing health cards to all, starting with the working class, and another ₹5 crore for making the city age-friendly. The Padmasarovaram project, which was previously dropped due to environmental concerns, makes a return with an allocation of ₹5 crore. A sum of ₹9 crore has been allocated for setting up community market hubs.
Published – March 24, 2025 10:48 pm IST