Source : The Hindu Date : 28.06.2009
MCC to build flats for Scheduled Caste people
Staff Correspondent
| Corporation council approves Rs. 1.47-crore surplus budget for 2009-10 at a special general body meeting |
Rs. 2.83 crore set aside for repaying ADB loan
Councillors to be allocated Rs. 15 lakh each as development fund
— Photo: R. Eswarraj 
FUND ALLOCATION: K. Revathi, chairperson of Standing Committee for Taxation, Finance and Appeals of the corporation, presenting the budget for 2009-10 in Mangalore on Saturday.
MANGALORE: The Council of Mangalore City Corporation, in its budget for 2009-10, has proposed to construct an apartment for the Schedule Caste people in the city.
Chairperson of the standing committee for Taxation, Finance and Appeals of the corporation K. Revathi presented the Rs. 1.47-crore surplus budget in the council on Saturday. The budget has placed the receipts at Rs. 175.38 crore and expenditure at Rs. 173.90 crore.
Mayor M. Shankar Bhat said that the corporation could not present the budget in March owing to election model code of conduct being in force then in connection with the Lok Sabha elections.
Ms. Revathi said that the corporation would take steps to construct the apartments as there was dearth of sites to build individual houses. This would also help avoid their colonies from turning into slums, she said.
However, the budget did not specify the amount reserved for construction of the apartment block. It said that the funds for its construction would be drawn from the revenue earned by the corporation and the grants from the State Finance Commission.
The corporation has reserved Rs. 3.6 crores under 18 per cent scheme for the welfare of Scheduled Caste people this year. The budget has estimated a revenue of Rs. 28.5 crore from water tariff, Rs. 15 crore from property tax, Rs. 2.1 crore from fees to be imposed for laying the underground drainage pipes, Rs. 1.96 crore from market fees, Rs. 86 lakh trade licence fees, Rs. 70 lakh as fees from advertisement bill boards and hoardings, and the balance from other sources, including Government grants.
The corporation has reserved Rs. 20 crore from its own fund for developmental works this year. This is in addition to the grants from the State Finance Commission and the Government for such activities. The civic body has reserved Rs. 2.83 crore for re-paying the loan availed from the Asian Development Bank for laying underground drainage pipes, constructing sewage treatment plants, laying water supply lines and roads, and constructing associated facilities. Mr. Bhat said that the civic body would allocate Rs. 15 lakh to each councillor as area development fund during 2009-10.
Leader of the Opposition in the council Harinath urged the Mayor to increase the Rs. 15-lakh fund to Rs. 20 lakh. Many councillors supported his demand. He said that the civic body should have allocated funds for Health Department. Former Mayor M. Shashidhar Hegde, from the Opposition benches, termed the budget as “old wine in new bottle”.
K. Harish, an independent councillor, said that the budget was entirely dependent on Government grants and not on income from its own sources.
