All eyes on smart budget

KOCHI: Smart City is the project which Kochiites, among others, have been pinning their hopes on. According to the state government, the construction work of the project will begin  soon. However, Kakkanad the municipality where the project is coming up, is yet to address the infrastructure demands of the project.Hence the people of the city hope that the  Budget will allocate a considerable amount for the infrastructure development associated with the Smart City project.Road developmentThe fund for land acquisition for the remaining stretch of Seaport-Airport road, construction of a new road connecting Seaport-Airport road and Thammanam-Pulleppady road, widening of IMG-Pallikkara Road should also get the attention of the state government while preparing the budget.  “We expect that funds will be earmarked for the Seaport-Airport Road and widening of IMG-Pallikkara road,” Thrikkakara municipal chairman Mohammed Ali said.Preserving KadambrayarThe Kadambrayar, that flows through Kakkanad, caters to the drinking water requirements of the area in and around the Smart City. It is expected that the state government will  earmark funds for Kadambrayar tourism project. Protecting the river is all the more important for the conservation of the ecosystem in the area. “There should be provision in the Budget for preserving Kadambrayar, the river which is supposed to provide drinking water for Smart City,” Mohammed Ali said. State-of-the-art bus stationSetting up of a state-of-the-art bus station in Kakkanad is another demand. As the local body cannot afford such big projects, financial aid from the state government is inevitable.