Give us our due

KOCHI: The budget is all about income and expenditure. As the state government presents the annual budget for 2011 on Friday, Kochi which contributes around 40 per cent towards the income of the state should get its due, which rarely happens. The city is on the makeover path towards a metro city. Both the State and Union Government along with the business community from across the country have pumped in a lot of money into various development projects in Kochi including Container Transshipment Terminal, Vallarpadom, and LNG Project in Puthuvype. But the city is lagging behind many other cities in the country as far as infrastructure facilities are concerned. Many projects like Smart City and Metro Rail are caught between the vested interests of conflicting political fronts. Though the state government has started the preparatory work of the Kochi Metro Rail project, it is yet to secure the final nod from the Union Government.There is a new ray of hope for Smart City, Kochi. But the basic infrastructure in Kakkanad and its surrounding areas has to be developed. The condition of city roads is pathetic. Almost all the roads in the city are flooded after a heavy downpour. The last government had declared a Rs 40,000 package for the development of roads in the state. A portion of such packages should be given for the development of roads in Kochi. The widening of various city roads and construction of flyovers should be given priority. Kochi has a lot of potential for inland navigation. So inland  navigation projects should get their share.