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Financial Management

AMC may get Rs 250-crore govt grant

Tuesday, 23 February 2010 11:26 administrator
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Indian Express 23.02.2010

AMC may get Rs 250-crore govt grant

Express News Service Tags : corporation Posted: Tuesday , Feb 23, 2010 at 0645 hrs

Ahmedabad: The budget of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) shows that the state government will provide a grant of Rs 250 crore to the civic body.

However, some believe the commitment will not be fulfilled. According to them, earlier also the government had not kept its promise of giving incremental grant in lieu of octroi that was taken off the civic revenue list on November 14, 2007.

The civic body is hopeful of getting the promised 15 per cent incremental growth in the grant in lieu of octroi. The expectation is based on its past performance of recording 19 per cent growth in income from octroi in 2006-07 over the preceding year. It is another thing that the AMC has not got the promised 15 per cent increase in the grant in the last three years.

Officials said they may find the government grant “sufficient” to meet the project finance requirement among other things like “slight delay in receiving the grants”.

In 2008-09, the octroi grant was Rs 826 crore in place of the expected Rs 943 crore and Rs 1,017 crore in place of expected Rs 1,139 crore in 2009-10.

However, municipal commissioner I P Gautam is happy with whatever that comes the AMC way from the government. “We expect release of Rs 250 crore from the CM’s Urban Development Fund in a few weeks. Besides this, the 15 per cent of the government contribution to the JNNURM project cost is coming regularly,” he said, adding that there was no reason for the AMC to worry at this stage. We are hopeful that the government will consider our request for octroi grant hike also. Moreover, we have a few crores in our accounts”, he said.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 February 2010 11:30
 

Budget session from tomorrow

Tuesday, 23 February 2010 11:24 administrator
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The New Indian Express 23.02.2010

Budget session from tomorrow

Express News Service


THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The rampant encroachment in Munnar, the CPM- sponsored encroachment in Wayanad, the government’s dilly-dallying on the Smart City project and rise in prices of essential commodities will be among the issues which are likely to make the 14th session of the Assembly, beginning on February 24, a stormy affair.

However, the main focus of the 24-day session will be the presentation of the Budget for the financial year 2010-11 by Finance Minister Thomas Isaac on March 5. With the elections to the local bodies scheduled for September and the state going for the Assembly elections in 2011, the LDF Government is all set to present a populist budget.

But this alone will not be sufficient for the LDF Government to save its face in the House as the Opposition is all set to list out the failures of the CPM-led Government over the past four years.

It will be the encroachments which are undoubtedly going to put the LDF Government in the dock as the Congress- led Opposition is all set unleash a scathing attack on the CPM and CPI for their `soft stand’ towards the encroachments, especially in Munnar.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 February 2010 11:27
 

City gets raw deal in State budget

Monday, 22 February 2010 11:37 administrator
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The New Indian Express 22.02.2010

City gets raw deal in State budget

S Bachan Jeet Singh


The city has been meted out a raw deal in the State budget presented by Chief Minister K Rosaiah for the year 2010-11 .

Of the total budget of Rs 1,13,660 crore, the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) got Rs 3,261 cr out of which the major wings like the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) together could not get even Rs 1,000 crore .

These departments, in view of the inadequate allocations, have to put on hold several major projects on hand .

With no major allocation, the GHMC is the worst-hit. It got petty sanctions like Rs 50 lakh for construction of a bridge at Bapu Ghat across the Musi and Rs 1 crore for the Charminar Pedestrianisation Project (CPP) .

There was no mention of implementation of Multi Modal Transportation System (MMTS) Phase-II, remodelling of storm water drains, housing scheme for poor and other proposed projects .

Same is the case with the cashstrapped HMDA which got Rs 445 cr .

Budgetary allocations had been made towards State component for several major schemes under implementation by the HMDA. The Rs 370-crore Hussainsagar Lake and Catchment Area Improvement Project, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to the extent of Rs 310 cr, got over Rs 60 crore in the budget under three different heads (Rs 46.32 cr, Rs 9.72 cr and Rs 3.96 cr) .

A loan provision of Rs 385 crore for the ongoing Outer Ring Road (ORR) project had also been made .

The Water Board got budgetary allocations to the tune of Rs 425 cr for implementing water and sewerage projects in the GHMC limits. A loan component of Rs 250 cr for the Godavari Drinking Water Supply scheme to the twin cities had been made. While Rs 150 cr had been earmarked for implementing sewerage master plan, Rs 1 cr had been allocated for remodelling of existing sewerage system works .

An assistance of Rs 50 cr for strengthening the water supply network in the GHMC limits and another Rs 37 cr grant-in-aid for improvement of water supply in slum areas had been earmarked while Rs 3.98 cr had been allocated for control of pollution and conservation of the Musi. Under Nonplan scheme it is going to get Rs 25 cr .

A grant-in-aid of Rs 4 crore had been made to Quli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority (QQSUDA).

Last Updated on Monday, 22 February 2010 11:46
 
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