GCC Budget: More funds to enhance civic infrastructure

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation on Monday announced more funding and schemes to enhance the civic infrastructure and promised quality roads and stormwater drains for "Singara Chennai".

The DMK ruled Corporation also brought back its previous scheme of Makkal Thedi Managaratchi with a new name "Makkalai Thedi Mayor". In the Budget session, the Chennai Corporation announced more than Rs 881 crore under three projects – Singara Chennai 2.0 and Tamil Nadu Urban Road Infrastructure Fund (TURIF) project and Urban Road development scheme.

Another major share of money was earmarked for contruction of new stormwater drains at a cost of Rs 1,482 crore. For solid waste management and cleaning the city, the Corporation sanctioned Rs 260.52 crore.

As per the announcement, more than 4,000 bus route roads (BRR) and interior roads will be re-laid in the fiscal 2023 – 2024. "Under the Singara Chennai 2.0 project, as many as 452 bus routes and interior roads will be repaired for an estimated cost of Rs 55.61 crore, it would cover 78.01 km. Similarly 1,335 roads will be re-laid at a cost of Rs 149.55 crore under the TURIF project," Chennai Mayor R Priya informed the council.

The civic body will spend Rs 327.63 crore under urban road development scheme and repair 2,687 BRR and interior roads to a length of 425.51 km. Under the road development works, bollards will be placed to prevent encroachment and vehicle parking on footpaths.

Further, 10,939 roads will be repaired, spruced up with new name boards and of required the name boards will be converted into digital boards, the Mayor said.

Chennai Mayor also announced the partcipation of Chennai Corporation under Namakku Naame Thittam initiated by the state government. Government maternity hospital in Egmore will get 100 beds and canteen for young mothers. The incubator care will also be enhanced using the corpus under Kalaignar Memorial International Marathon Institute and National Urban Livelihook Mission at an estimated cost of Rs.5.89 crore. In addition, the corporation will also rope in private players to construct child care centre and class rooms in several parts of the city.

As part of public greivance addressal scheme, the corporation will initiate Makkalai Thedi Mayor scheme in 2023-24. Under the scheme, the mayor would visit at least one zonal office every month and receive public petition. The mayor also announced bonnanza for school toppers from Corporation schools, where students scoring centums will now recieve Rs 10,000 for each subject. The Mayor also announced cash rewards for Corporation school teachers who are performing well.