Budget brings little cheer to Kochi

The revised State Budget brought little cheer to Kochi and the larger Ernakulam district, with only a handful of new projects announced and actual allocations either meagre or missing altogether.

Kochi Port, along with Vizhinjam, has been identified for the establishment of manufacturing zones, stuffing centres, and dry ports in its neighbourhood, with a promise to reserve a specific percentage of employment opportunities for coastal communities. While land acquisition and infrastructure development have been proposed, no budgetary allocation has been made.

The Kochi–Thrissur belt is to be transformed into a major jewellery manufacturing corridor, with an initial allocation of ₹10 crore. The government has promised support for establishing a dedicated gold exchange hub and a jewellery manufacturing park, alongside training programmes to nurture designers and manufacturers.

An amount of ₹10 crore has been earmarked for the modernisation of Ernakulam Medical College, and ₹1 crore for a memorial to the late actor Salim Kumar in Ernakulam. The construction of the proposed Goshree–Bolgatty Parallel Bridge and land acquisition and construction of the Goshree–Mamangalam Road have been allocated ₹1 crore.

The Budget also promises Information and Communication Technology facilities for the High Court and district judiciary. Kochi has been promised an arbitration court, though specific allocations for these projects were absent.

A world-class global convention centre has been proposed adjacent to Kochi airport. Given the airport’s stature in the State’s aviation sector, it may benefit from the proposed strengthening of the aircraft Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) sector, simulator-based pilot training centres, and aviation maintenance engineering training and skill‑development facilities, which again are missing specific allocations.

Fort Kochi has been included among the tourist destinations selected for the pilot phase of the proposed Green Marshals scheme. Under this initiative, women will be trained and deployed as Green Marshals to promote cleanliness, responsible tourist behaviour, and environmental awareness. The Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority in Kochi received only a passing mention, with the Budget proposing to make it “more efficient.”