Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (NR)  

Mangalore, Mar 19: Mangalore University finance officer Prof P S Yadapadithaya presented a Rs 3.52-crore deficit budget for the year 2008-09, at the fourth general body meeting of the varsity's academic council held here on Tuesday March 18. 
 
Some of the highlights of the budget include reducing development grants from the government, stress on cut in expenditure and increasing non-plan expenditure like salaries. The budget did not emphaise on any new schemes, but gave a list of new projects which has been repeated in the budget since past few years.  

Presenting the budget estimates for 2008-09 and revised budget estimate for 2007-08, Yadapadithaya warned that the administrative expenditure will be needing more drastic cuts along with some proposed developmental works being dropped, if the funding further dwindles as against the projections.   

According to him, the University is expecting Rs 53.70 crore through different sources including plan and non-plan outlay and the University Grants Commission (UGC), while the projected expenditure is Rs 57.22 crore. Thus indicating a deficit of Rs 3.52 crore. However, it must be noted here that the deficit is less compared to that of the previous budget, which was RS. 6.81 lac in 2007-08.  

The expenses under the non-plan head has been estimated at Rs 38,82,54,397, while the budget had expected a receipt of Rs 37,30,03,398 under the same. These non plan grants from the state government is utilized towards the salaries and allowances of university officials and staff.  

This also includes expenses towards maintaining buildings and other infrastructures like labs and vehicles, which take away the major portion of the budget. On the other hand, under the planned segment of the budget the estimated receipt is Rs 16,40,73,500 and the estimated expenditure has been set at Rs 18,40,27,000.   

Total incoming revenue is about 22% expected from the State government as development grant, 19% from students as fee, 38% from the government as block grant towards salary and pension. An additional 5% is expected from the UGC. In this context the University has sought Rs 11 crore from the State government for the financial year 2008-09 as development grant to undertake various projects, and proposes to spend Rs 11.79 crore out of this budget.  

The major development projects to be taken up this year includes one multi-complex auditorium and four mini seminar halls at a cost of Rs 5 crore, construction of 'Pareeksha Bhavan' (examination hall) costing Rs 4.25 crore, outdoor stadium with 400-metre track at Rs 1.7 crore.  

Funds released from the UGC were utilized for the construction of an electronics building, yogic sciences centre, health centre, pathology lab, museum for applied zoology department, cafeteria in University and micro-biology building in Madikeri. Under the UGC 11th plan it has been proposed to build a women's hostel at an estimated cost of Rs. 1.38 crore and the UGC had sanctioned Rs 85 lac for the hostel project to be set up at Rs 1,35,98,750. The University will have to arrange the remaining amount.

According to Yadapadithaya, the state government had released Rs 25 lac as special grant to set-up a Kodava Study Centre at the university to study the history of Kodava community. This work would be initiated soon, he assured. Vice-chancellor K M Kaveriappa presided over the budget presentation.