Ruling, opposition lawmakers lock corner on Kochi’s budget

Discussions at the Kochi Corporation Council meeting on the Budget for 2025-26 witnessed ruling councillors of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) terming the Budget as one that positively influenced all aspects of city life, while the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) slammed the Budget as one that powered development projects through debts, including through municipal bonds, by pawning the civic body’s assets.

Nature Party MPs claim that the budget fulfills most of the promises it has provided to the people and gives the city a future development. While proposing creative projects for urban development, the budget embraced poverty. It proposes recommendations to improve the financial position of a company and improve its revenue.

The ruling councillor claims that the budget is an effective model of fiscal management. The company successfully increased revenue while reducing spending. The outstanding payments to contractors can be reduced from the past 39 to 24 months. No excellent loan. The proposal for approval of development projects is intended to maintain high democratic values.

When it comes to capital utilization, the company can appear first among six companies in the state. Even critics must agree that the changes in Brahmapuram have changed, demonstrating the company’s unprecedented success in waste management. LDF claims the company is able to implement about 50 new projects.

The opposition UDF claims that the company did not even charge its own income, but instead blended into debt traps similar to state governments by proposing a debt-driven development model. Local institutions suffered due to state government fiscal policy errors. UDF MPs said the company is also following the same path.

Consciousness alone will not help fight cancer and drug threats. Projects should be implemented to reduce treatment costs. The opposition also accused the company of lack of transparency in using corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds. The CSR Fund is being transferred to various agencies without proper monitoring. The UDF said the budget has no proposals to increase revenue.

BJP MPs accused the company of misunderstanding it as its central project in its budget. They mocked LDF’s past line against municipal bonds.