Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)

Udupi, Jan 30: President of Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC), Meenakshi Madhav Bannanje on Monday, January 30 presented the annual budget for the financial year 1017-18 at Satyamurthy auditorium.

According to the budget, Quality Council of India will spend Rs 8.44 lac on the city under Swacch Bharat Mission. A budget of Rs three crore has been released for the Paryaya festival and the tender process is on.

The CMC is expected to garner Rs 49.4154 crore of income from development works. The initial balance for the financial year 2017-18 is Rs 51.3123 crore, the total income is put at Rs 100.7277 crore, the total expense estimated at Rs 99.224 crore and the final balance would be Rs 1.5037 crore.

CMC is expected to earn an estimated income of Rs 11.6 crore from property tax, Rs 60 lac from business license and advertisement income, Rs 60 lac from building license, etc, Meenakshi said. 

"We have reserved Rs 1.2 crore for waste dumping unit at Alevoor and other works. Rs 11.4 lac has been reserved under the 14th Finance Commission for infrastructure development and Rs 50 lac has been reserved for the water purification unit at Nittur.

"For the welfare of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe community, the CMC has kept 60 lac of funds and Rs 1.4 crore has been reserved as SFC fund. Rs 1.3259 crore has been released for the water supply management, drainage system and Bhujanga Park development work under ‘Amrut city project’," she added.

Many projects were approved during the annual budget meeting. Congress approved the budget, but Dinkar Shetty Herga, senior leader of the opposition was upset over the budget. He raised alleged discrimination in distribution of funds for wards.

"The council should be serious about water management. Top priority should be given for public toilets and footpaths. Housing sites should be provided for the poor and destitute," Dinkar said.

In reply, commissioner Manjunathayya said, "Nearly 399 families will be given housing sites out of 1,506 applicants. The sites for housing have been marked at Uppoor, Indrali and sent for final approval."

Vasanti Shetty, opposition party councillor, Ambalpady said, "The menace of stray dogs has been increasing in Ambalpady area and CMC needs to control it on priority. We also need to improve green revolution and parking in city."

Sandhya Thilakaraj, vice-president of CMC and others were present.