Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (JS)
Mangaluru, Mar 8: Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) on Tuesday March 7 presented its budget for the fiscal year 2016-2017 amid protests by the opposition BJP which claimed that there were many errors in the budget.
Opposition members protested on the floor of the house alleging that there was discrimination in the distribution of funds. Only after the mayor assured to rectify the mistake and make corrections did the opposition leaders withdraw the protest.
Presenting the budget, Harinath, president of the standing committee for finance and taxation, said that the corporation expected to earn a revenue of Rs 42,912.34 lac while the total expenditure was estimated at Rs 42,748.56 lac.
Estimated revenue through various sources are as follows:
From property tax, the MCC expects to collect Rs 5,500 lac. About Rs 300 lac is expected from water tax and underground drainage maintenance cess. Under development fee, inspection fee, premium affair, labour development fund and other fees are expected to bring in Rs 1960 lac. About Rs 112 lac is expected from trade license and parking fees, about Rs 431.11 lac from rent collected by the city corporation properties, while Rs 2,721 lac is expected to be collected from various other taxes and fees like birth and death certificates, bank interest, waste management fee and sale of organic manure.
Revenue through various grants from state and central governments are as follows:
Rs 4,063.33 from state government under SFC (State Financial Commission) grant for wages, Rs 3,500 lac for electricity grant, Rs 400 lac for stamp and surcharges, Rs 2,249 lac under SFC open grant, Rs 15 lac under NFDB, Rs 20 lac for rainwater harvesting, Rs 54 lac SFC grant (south and north), Rs 150 lac under SFC grant (Suratkal), Rs 100 lac under SFC supportive fund, Rs 85 lac under SWM fund, Rs 50 lac under SFC emergency fund, Rs 167 lac for sea, gardens and park, pending grants of Rs 5,000 lac from chief minister's special grant under second phase and Rs 7,000 lac under third phase.
Rs 1,000 lac from state and central governments under Smart City Scheme, Rs 450 lac from Amrut scheme, Rs 1,481.86 lac under the centre's 14th Finance Commission and Rs 50 lac each under member of parliament fund and MLA fund. Totally, Rs 25,925.19 lac is expected from various government grants.
Expenditure and proposals
Rs 4,913.15 lac is estimated for administrative expenses like salaries to MCC staff, legal expenses, honorary remuneration to council members, national festival celebrations and other expenses; Rs 4,661 lac for health and cleanliness expenses like waste management and collection, payment of valveman outsourcing and jetsuck and gulpit maintenance bills, vehicle rent, malaria control programmes, street dog menace control, controlling of communicable diseases and other expenses; Rs 928.97 lac for welfare programme of SC/ST; Rs 279.45 lac for welfare programme of other backward class people and Rs 115.64 for welfare programme of differently-abled people. Rs 50 lac is estimated for donations and grants for sports, natural disaster compensation and other compensations.
Various developmental works like maintenance and construction of buildings is estimated at Rs 330 lac; and Rs 250 lac is estimated for park, swimming pool and stadium development; Rs 5,807 lac for construction, redevelopment and widening of roads; Rs 1,790 lac for construction of huge drainage, underground drainage and rainwater drains. Rs 1,250 lac is set aside for water supply.
Additional taxes like trade cess, underground drainage cess, underground cable cess and cess on mobile towers will also be imposed wherein collection of Rs 822 lac is expected.
For smooth and efficient collection of property tax and water tax, the corporation will be divided into three zones, that is Mangaluru central zone, Kadri south zone and Suratkal north zone. The tax will be collected through outsourcing. Details of properties in the corporation limits will be computerised, which will help in efficient collection of taxes.
"It is proposed to replace all streetlights with LED lights and complete installation of solar lights for MCC building. Major circles and footpaths will be developed at the cost of Rs 1,500 lac. Also, Kavoor, Alake, Kaikamba, Urwastore and Urwa markets will be constructed," Harinath said.
The opposition party members were unhappy with the budget. MCC opposition leader, Sudheer Shetty said, "There are many errors in this budget. Being the opposition party we strongly oppose this budget."
Premananda Shetty said, "We expected a lot from this budget, but we are really disappointed with the budget as there is nothing new. This is a zero budget and I strongly oppose it."
Mayor Jacintha Alfred, MCC commissioner H N Gopalkrishna and others were present.
Udupi: Municipal president tables surplus budget - water, cleanliness, drainage get priority
Pic: Pareekshith Shet
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (PS/SP)
Udupi, Mar 8: City municipal president, Yuvaraj, presented the budget of the municipality for the year 2016-17, which has projected a surplus of Rs 1.59 crore. The budget has estimated the income for the next year as 85.63 crore rupees, and expenditure, as Rs 84.04 crore.
The budgetary allocation this time has been generous for fields like drinking water, cleanliness and underground drainage. The other aspects that have been given impetus are repair and maintenance of roads and footpaths, concreting of some selected roads, providing paver finish to main roads, and asphalting of road. These things have got Rs 12.5 crore allocation.
Repair and maintenance of street light (Rs 1 crore), new street lights ( 2 crore), water supply lines and distribution net work (1.33 crore), hygiene, solid waste management (4,5 crore), underground drainage (1.4 crore)m abd development of roads (1,5 crore) are some of the other items that have been given prominence.
The budget also envisages programmes for development of slums and cleanliness of the city.
The opposition members took the ruling party to task at the meeting. Opposition councillor, M R Pai, reminded that as per law, budget should be presented before January 15. He also objected to the presentation of budget by calling extraordinary general session. When municipal commissioner objected to certain remarks made by Pai, there was war of words. The president intervened and closed the issue by confessing that there was mistake in mentioning this as an extraordinary general session instead of general session.