With the forthcoming Municipal elections in 91 Municipalities and Kolkata Municipal Corporation around the corner, the first question which comes to our mind is how much work the Trinamool Government has done after coming to power towards urban development.

In four years the expenditure towards planned urban development has increased by 70 percent

How much did the Left Front Government spend in their last four years towards planned urban development? How much has the Trinamool Government spent in their first four years? As per records Left Front had spent about Rs 866 crore in 2010-11.  Whereas the present TMC Government has spent Rs 1128 crore in 2011-12 i.e more than 30.25% the spending of Left Front Government’s last year.  In the second year this government has spent around Rs 1231 crore (i.e around 42% more than Left Front’s last spending). In 2013-14, TMC has spent around Rs 1510 crore (i.e about 75% more than Left Front’s last year) and for 2014-15, this government has increased its spending to Rs 1690 crore around 95% more than what Left Front spent in its last year in power.

In the current financial year the budget is around Rs 1895 crore which is 120%  of what Left Front had spent in their last four years in power.

In the first four years Trinamool has spent Rs 5559 crore 28 lakh towards urban development i.e around Rs 1390 crore per year which is around 61% increase from Left Front’s last year spending. In the last four years the Left Front Government had spent around Rs 3327 crore while TMC has already spent Rs 5560 crore. This is around 70% more than what Left Front has spent.

Under Municipal Affairs, Trinamool has spent more

If we compare the last four years of Left Front Government and the first four years of Trinamool Government, it will be seen that from the years 2007-11, the then West Bengal Government had spent Rs 3204 crore 47 lakh. After Trinamool came to power in 2011, the spending till now has been Rs 4904 crore 14 lakh. It is clear from the data itself that comparatively Trinamool Government has spent more than 53% already. In the forthcoming financial year the budget allotted is Rs 2466 crore which is around 130% more than what Left Front has spent during their tenure of last four years in Municipal Affairs.

The work done in both Urban and Municipal departments, is quite remarkable. From distribution of filtered water, development of slums, construction of houses for the urban poor, infrastructure development in slum areas, beautification, implementation Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rojgar Yojana, waste management, e-governance service, modernisation of sewerage and drainage system, various allowances like old age, widow, physically challenged people, the Trinamool Government has covered quite a lot of spheres of work.

Trinamool’s success is much more

Though it is difficult to retrieve records of Left Front Government’s spending, the ones we get through the print media like planned development expenditure, social support allowances under various categories for the people under living below poverty line vis-a-vis spending done by Trinamool Government are as given below:

Some remarkable achievements in first three years of Trinamool Government

Till the year 2013-14 some projects which are completed or under completion are;

• For the urban poor and slum dwellers construction of houses and improvement of infra-structure in slum areas has been undertaken. Around 16 thousand houses have been constructed and 11 thousand more are under construction within scheduled time.

• Several beautification drives have been undertaken in collaboration with Urban Development Department and Municipal Engineering Directorate which includes installation of artistic street lights, beautification of waterfront along the Hooghly from Princep Ghat to Millennium Park, renovation of 16 ghats along the banks of Hooghly, beautification of medians along the 16 major roads in the city etc.

• Under Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana over one lakh 5 thousand youth under BPL have been given training.

• Through e-governance services along with KMC and 73 other Municipal areas, birth and death certificates, trade licences, payment of taxes can be availed electronically.

• A modern abattoir has been built in Tangra (Ward no.58) area keeping in mind the hygiene and health of the people living in and around that area.

• Several compactors have been installed towards waste management in various parts of the city by KMC.

• Implementation of Right to Public Services Act, 2013 has been done.

• The jurisdiction of 15 Municipal Boards across the state has been increased

Some remarkable projects completed in the last few years

• Nazrul Tirtha at Rs 45.70 crore

• Eco tourism park phase 3 (eco island) at Rs 6.67 crore

• Pedestrian underpass at Rs 4.76 crore

• Third Bagjola bridge at Rs 6.03 crore

• Surface water distribution in Baruipur at Rs 14.87 crore

• In Geokhali 25 MGD water treatment plant

• In Raichak construction of Satish Samanta Trade Centre has been completed

Some notable projects under implementation

The projects under construction are ;

• Under Newtown Kolkata Development Authority 10 community markets and Solar city

• Sriniketan – Shantiniketan Development Authority has allotted 129 acre land to build Bolpur Smart Township

• In collaboration with Kolkata Port Trust a giant wheel is being installed at the Millennium Park at the cost of Rs 300.79 crore

• 22 urban development projects have been undertaken at the cost of Rs 76 thousand crore to help the backward classes of the society

• Solid waste management project has been undertaken by Hooghly Municipality in the current financial year

• Waste water project has been started under Barrackpur, Uttarpara and Khardah Municipalities

• 10 shelters for the homeless with 50 beds each is being made for the homeless people

• Over and above this the periphery of e-governance services will be increased

It can be said without hesitation the work being done by the TMC Government in the State is much more than done by any government earlier to this.