The Club Penguin User

Joanna63

Asian Development Bank (ADB) is to send a high-level delegation to help the Kochi Corporation identify and prioritise the projects for receiving financial aid. The civic body is likely to get around Rs 350 crore along with four other corporations in the State.

The ADB representatives had held several rounds of discussions with the civic chiefs and secretaries of the corporation at Thiruvananthapuram regarding the priorities and projects that are to get financial support.

The bank has also appointed an Australian firm as its consultant for extending the financial aid to the corporations. It has also asked the corporation to answer a questionnaire regarding the organisational and functional details of the civic body. During discussions, it was made clear that only the "own projects" of the corporation would get a support from the ADB.

The corporation would soon submit a draft proposal of its priority areas and preferences to the State Government, which would forward it to the ADB. The bank and the consulting agency would the study the viability of the projects and proposals, the officials said. The funding agency plans to organise regional workshops in different parts of the State in which the involvement of stakeholders would be ensured. The general public, NGOs, self-help groups such as Area Development Societies and Kudumbasree units could attend the workshop and air their views. The regional workshops would play a crucial role in finalising the projects that are to get financial aid.

The corporation has identified infrastructure development, urban transport, solid waste management and water supply and sewage treatment systems as its priority areas for receiving the financial aid, which will b helpful for the Kerala flats project also.