KOCHI: The State Budget for 2012-13 offers nothing new for the city and there is no follow up either for the projects and proposals announced last year. Though there is fund allocations for Metro Rail, waste treatment and slum eradication projects, there was not even a mention about the Smart City project.There has not been any progress in the Smart city project since its inauguration and the construction is yet to start. On the infrastructure side, though the city expected certain proposals for development of waterways in and around the city, nothing materialised. During last year’s budget, the Finance Minister had mentioned about certain infrastructure projects. This included renovation of Seaport-Airport Road, Nettur-Kundannoor parallel bridge, Island-Kannangad Bridge and Forty feet Road at Palluruthy and Ernakulam-Sabarimala state highway. An amount of `2 crore has been earmarked for this project. It was also announced that four major canals in and around the city would be renovated. Seven major canals in the city had earlier been handed over to the Irrigation Department for the proposed water metro project. Of these, none of the proposals in the infrastructure sector has been realised. Though funds have been allotted for the bridge projects along with proposals for other bridges across the state, the Finance Minister had earmarked `325 crore for bridges across the state.
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