THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kovalam MLA Jameela Prakasam and Nemom member V Sivankutty said that Finance Minister K M Mani had given the capital city the cold-shoulder. Jameela Prakasam said the Finance Minister limited the goodies planned for the capital to just the Vizhinjam project. ‘’But even for Vizhinjam, the Finance Minister has set apart an inadequate amount,’’ Jameela said while participating in the discussion on the Revised Budget for the financial year 2011-12.She also said that Mani had turned his back on the coastal community. Jameela wanted a modern medical facility, sanitation, water and power programmes to be put in place in the coastal area before the Vizhinjam project goes on track. "The UDF Ministers have assured me that these basic needs will be met and that we don’t even have to talk to Central Ministers,’’ Jameela said.Sivankutty lamented the fact that Mani had provided just Rs 30 crore for the Capital Road Improvement Project (CRIP) in the place of Rs 100 crore provided in the budget presented by former Finance Minister Thomas Isaac. "Nothing can be done with this amount for the 100 wards in the Corporation,’’ said Sivankutty during the discussion. Mani intervened to say that Sivankutty needs to be realistic. ‘’We have just five more months, that’s why the amount has been restricted to Rs 30 crore,’’ Mani said.Sivankutty then went on to list 25 projects in his constituency that were earmarked amounts in Isaac’s budget but were axed by Mani in his Revised Budget. The biggest casualty was the Karamana-Kaliyikkavila four-laning project. Isaac had earmarked Rs 100 crore in his 2011-12 budget for land acquisition and other preliminary work and work did proceed on the basis of the amount. Now, Mani, in his revised Budget, had revoked the amount. The Rs 361-crore Attukal Development Project is Sivankutty’s other big loss. Isaac had kept Rs 10 crore in his 2011-12 budget. Mani erased it.‘’The women in Attukal are offering ‘pongala’ in their homes in the hope that Mani sir will change his mind and include something for the Attukal Development Project,’’ Sivankutty said, half in jest. A sporting Mani got up to say that his mind has already started changing. Some of the other projects, besides Vizhinjam, that have been ignored by Mani incllude: Thirumala-Mangattukadavu road, Thrikkannapuram-Poozhikunnu road, Karamana-Pallathukadavu bridge, Karamana-Melode bund, protection wall for Karamana river, a flood bank on Karamana river, building for Social Welfare Directorate at Poojappura, perimeter wall for Children’s Home, a dormitory for Asha Bhavan at Poojappura and Karamana Bund Road.
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