The Hindu 25.04.2013
Budget variation normal: GHMC chief
GHMC Commissioner M.T. Krishna Babu said the standing
committee will be provided with complete details about the budgetary
variations for every section with justification for the amounts spent in
three days.
In an informal chat with presspersons
here on Wednesday, he said the budget variations in the monies spent
happen because neither the revenue expenditure on salaries, fuel, etc.,
nor capital works expenditure on various works can go by the budgetary
provisions alone.
In an oblique reference to the
ongoing tug-of-war between senior officials and the standing committee
in the last couple of weeks over budget variation report, he maintained
it was a common practice adopted by municipal bodies and the Government.
While twice the budgeted amount is allowed to be spent as per the
codified rules, it is followed more on the breach because of
unpredictable nature of prices like fuel, power charges, etc, and
demands of the day.
Similarly, projects like link
roads, flyovers, storm water drains, etc., take two to three years for
completion, hence the budget is carried over into subsequent years. “If
we stick to the budget alone and considering the spill over works, we
can’t take up any fresh work as the civic body’s capacity to complete
works is about Rs.800 crore a year,” he pointed out.
In
any case, a weekly statement of revenue and expenditure is placed
before the standing committee presided over by the Mayor as per
procedure and not a single case of objection was recorded so far. While
doubts about excess billing or quality of works can be checked through a
third party or the quality control cell, “every single bill is
pre-audited and accounted for,” he claimed.
The
Commissioner said the finance wing was instructed to go through every
bill with a fine toothcomb and maintain proper classifications of the
amounts spent for preparing the final appropriations bill. When
contacted, a standing committee member exclaimed: “We have grave doubts
about the budget variation report submitted to us and about large sums
disbursed under various sections. And, none of the senior officials have
had any explanation for it.”
Krishna Babu attributes it to unpredictable nature of prices like fuel, power charges, etc and demands of the day.
