The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation’s Budget for 2024-25, to be presented on February 14 (Wednesday), will be focusing on building on the ongoing carbon neutral city initiatives and starting more elderly-friendly projects. Proposals for flood mitigation measures and steps for a drastic improvement in property tax collection are also expected to be part of the Budget, according to Corporation sources.
The Corporation’s property tax revenue in 2021-22 was ₹87 crore, which jumped to ₹98 crore in 2022-23. The figures for the current year, for which the Corporation has set a target of ₹110 crore, will be known only by March end. For the next financial year, the civic body is expected to set an ambitious target of around ₹150 crore.
GIS maps
It is pinning its hopes for the drastic increase in tax collection with the introduction of Geographic Information System (GIS) maps of public and private properties, showing their use and features necessary for fixing property taxes. Buildings in nine wards have been mapped as part of the pilot project. The mapping of properties and a periodic updating of the database would give local bodies an actual picture of the amount of tax money owed to them, as well as help them to track down defaulters.
The Corporation’s Budget for 2023 had proposed a Carbon-neutral Thiruvananthapuram project to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2040. Over the past year, the Corporation has purchased 100 electric buses for the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation. In addition, it has in recent years installed solar roofing in 250 out of a total of 650 government buildings identified for the project as well as provided subsidies for solar panels in homes.
Solar roofing
In the upcoming year, the civic body is expected to conduct a survey to identify the number of houses in the city with solar roofing and launch projects to incentivise the same in more houses.
Another survey is expected to be conducted to identify the number of senior citizens in the city needing various kinds of assistance. A slew of elderly-friendly projects are expected. Considering the recent floods in low-lying areas of the city, flood mitigation measures will get more focus.
Also on the cards are city beautification projects as well as modernisation of the Corporation’s main office at Palayam with an overhaul of its IT as well as physical infrastructure.
