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Financial Management

Civic body better placed to implement projects: Mayor

Tuesday, 12 July 2016 05:38 administrator
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The Hindu     12.07.2016  

Civic body better placed to implement projects: Mayor

Says budgetary allocation will help overcome several limitations

: Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V.K. Prasanth said here on Monday that the city would benefit through projects costing Rs.2,000 crore that have been announced in the State budget for 2016-17.

Addressing mediapersons, Mr. Prasanth was confident that the ‘unprecedented’ budgetary allocation would spur the development of the State capital as it addressed several limitations faced by the civic body. “Paucity of funds has for long been an obstacle to local bodies in planning development projects. The announcement that local self-government institutions would be permitted to raise funds by issuing bonds would be beneficial,” he said.

Moreover, the revival of the E.M.S. housing scheme and the M.N. Laksham Veedu project has come as a shot in the arm for the Corporation’s endeavour to provide housing for all. “We have faced several limitations while implementing the project under the strict guidelines of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). The government initiative would enable us to provide houses for all, including those who do not possess land,” he pointed out.

He added that the previous United Democratic Front (UDF) government had placed the responsibility of providing the hike in wages of anganwadi workers on the respective local body. The announcement made in the revised budget that half of this hiked amount would be borne by the government had brought relief to the Corporation. Mr. Prasanth said the proposed underpass at Pattom and Peroorkada junctions and flyover at Ulloor and Kumarapuram would resolve traffic congestion, along with the allocation made for the second phase of the Karamana-Kaliyikkavila NH widening project.

Besides the proposed development of the Veli and Akkulam tourist villages, the tourist potential of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple will be explored through the feasibility study.

Says budgetary allocation will help Corporation

overcome several

limitations

 

Rs. 11.96-lakh surplus budget for Belagavi City Corporation

Wednesday, 23 March 2016 06:02 administrator
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The Hindu       23.03.2016 

Rs. 11.96-lakh surplus budget for Belagavi City Corporation

A sum of Rs. 14.5 crore has been earmarked for taking up development works in wards

Sanjyot Sunil Bandekar, chairperson, Standing Committee for Taxation, Finance & Appeals on her way to present the budget for the Belagavi City Corporation in Belagavi on Tuesday.— PHOTO: P.K. BADIGER
Sanjyot Sunil Bandekar, chairperson, Standing Committee for Taxation, Finance & Appeals on her way to present the budget for the Belagavi City Corporation in Belagavi on Tuesday.— PHOTO: P.K. BADIGER

A Rs.11.96-lakh surplus budget was presented for the Belagavi City Corporation for 2016-17 at a council meeting presided over by Mayor Sarita Viraj Patil here on Tuesday. The budget was unanimously approved.

Sanjyot Sunil Bandekar, chairperson of the Standing Committee for Taxation, Finance & Appeals, who presented the budget, said that the revenue receipts from rentals, property tax and other sources stood at Rs.357.95 crore and the expected expenditure was Rs. 357.83 crore.

Grants

The corporation expected Rs. 42.192 crore as salary grants, Rs. 24.99 crore for development works, and Rs. 46.6 crore from water supply management and electricity bills under the State Finance Commission from the government.

A provision has been made for Rs.16.56 crore under the 14th Finance General Basic Grant for execution of works.

Development works

The budget proposed to spend Rs.16.58 crore on development works. As much as 20 per cent of this amount will be spent on drinking water supply works. Works will also be taken up on community toilets, underground drainage and storm-water drains, parks and community assets, roads and foot paths, and street lights.

It has been proposed to construct an annex building adjacent to the existing corporation building at a cost of Rs. 3 crore.

A sum of Rs. 4.5 crore has been set aside to build commercial complexes and markets in the open land restored by the corporation and Rs.1 crore on installation of a statue of B.R. Ambedkar along with a mini-garden within the corporation office premises.

A sum of Rs. 14.5 crore has been earmarked for taking up development works worth Rs. 25 lakh in each of the 58 wards; Rs.3 crore for community toilets; Rs. 25 lakh on new bus shelters; Rs. 50 lakh on developing urban forestry; Rs. 50 lakh for maintenance of slum areas; and Rs. 64.21 crore on new drinking water supply works with electricity connections.

For SCs, STs

An amount of Rs.11.11 crore has been allocated for the welfare and development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes colonies, Rs.3.34 crore for the welfare and development of backward classes; and Rs.1.38 crore for people with disabilities.

Revenue receipts from rentals, property tax and other sources stand at Rs.357.95 crore

 

Government may double DCW budget

Thursday, 25 February 2016 04:51 administrator
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The Hindu      25.02.2016 

Government may double DCW budget

181 helpline plan to be expanded, integrated with mahila panchayat, mobile helpline programmes

The mobile van for women in distress was flagged off by former CM Sheila Dikshit in 2013.— File Photo
The mobile van for women in distress was flagged off by former CM Sheila Dikshit in 2013.— File Photo

he Delhi government is likely to double the budget allocation for the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW). Sources said the government is expected to allocate around Rs.15 crore to strengthen the DCW.

Last year’s budget allocation for the DCW was Rs.7 crore. In its maiden budget, the Aam Aadmi Party-led government had increased allocation for the Commission to Rs.7 crore from Rs.3.75 crore. The decision to increase the budget comes in the wake of expanding the women’s helpline plan and integrating it with mahila panchayat and mobile helpline programmes.

At present, there are 30 mahila panchayats functioning in Delhi. This number is being increased to 70 to ensure there is a mahila panchayat in each constituency. The DCW has invited non-government organisations to collaborate with them to form 40 new mahila panchayats.

Moreover, the 181 helpline will be linked to the DCW mobile helpline programme. At present, there are just five vans under the programme and their number is now being increased to two vans in each police district.

The Delhi government had last month handed over the 181 helpline to the DCW. Inaugurated with much fanfare by the then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit soon after December 16, 2012, gang-rape, the helpline will undergo major changes.

“Till now, the 181 helpline worked merely as referral helpline. It did not have a grassroots presence and the staff would forward the complaints to the police as they had no alternate means of providing support,” said DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal.

Explaining that the functioning of the helpline so far, Ms. Maliwal said if a woman in distress called 181 to report that the police was not registering an FIR, the helpline staff, having no other option, would tell her to continue dealing with the police.

“But this is going to change now,” she added.

To take the helpline to the grassroots, the DCW mahila panchayats and mobile helpline programmes will be linked. The mahila panchayats offer crisis intervention and legal aid at the community level, and help tackle marital disputes and domestic violence cases. Through the mobile helpline, counsellors either counsel the people involved in the incident or provide help in registering an FIR. Even medical assistance for women in distress is provided. If required, the victim is rescued and often provided temporary shelter.

Under the mahila panchayat programmes, an NGO in each Assembly constituency will be linked with the Commission, which will have three to four personnel working at the grass-root level on issues like domestic violence and police inaction. Complaints received by the helpline will be forwarded to the mahila panchayats whenever need arises.

From now on, the mobile helpline van will act as first responders if a 181 caller requires immediate assistance. The Commission has invited NGOs working at the grass-root level to be a part of the mobile helpline programme.

“There is no existing mechanism to ensure the accountability of callers and subsequently monitoring them. Furthermore, there is need for immediate upgrading of software. Once the 181 helpline is effectively functional and linked with the grassroots expansion, it will be widely advertised as a part of a large scale awareness campaign,” said Ms. Maliwal.

In its maiden budget, the AAP govt had increased allocation to the DCW to Rs.7 crore from Rs.3.75 crore

 
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