T’puram: The newly elected NDA council in the city corporation is set to present its first budget on Tuesday, marking a significant moment in local governance after the party’s historic victory in the last municipal polls. Deputy mayor G S Asha Nath will table the budget, which sources say emphasizes civic issues such as waste management, carbon-neutral initiatives and rehabilitation of stray dogs, alongside a ‘people-friendly’ focus on welfare and infrastructure.In outlining broad priorities of the budget, Nath said, “This budget will reflect our commitment to improving everyday life for all residents. While we focus on ecological sustainability and efficient civic services, we are allocating resources for elderly care, public toilets and women-friendly projects so that every section of society benefits.” “We will carry forward projects under way during previous council’s term to ensure continuity in service delivery and implementation,” she told TOI. Nath emphasized that the NDA’s maiden budget will be a popular one and acceptable to all sections of the community.Responding to persistent concerns about stray animals, the council signalled plans for enhanced stray dog rehabilitation programmes. This comes amid ongoing public debate over humane management strategies for stray dogs, as similar proposals for shelters faced scrutiny from animal welfare groups in the city. The outgoing LDF council’s budget for 2025-26 had an outlay of Rs 1,928.35 crore, up from Rs 1,702 crore the year before. The NDA administration will have to balance fiscal prudence with its new policy priorities.
