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Financial Management

MCD departments present their budgets

Thursday, 13 January 2011 05:55 administrator
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The Hindu       13.01.2011

MCD departments present their budgets

Staff Reporter

The Health and Education Committees and the Department of Environment Management Services presented their respective budgets specifying the amount required to meet their department's expenses at a meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's key panel on Tuesday.

The civic body, which has been rapped by the Delhi High Court for running several schools in tents, claimed that it had built 60 class rooms in eight months since April last year and work was on to construct 2,433 more.

MCD Works Committee chairman Jagdish Mamgain said: “From April 1 to November 30, 2010, 13 school buildings were completed and 60 classrooms constructed. Work is in progress in 154 schools with 2,433 new classrooms on the anvil.”

He added that the focus of engineering department will be on pothole-free roads. To increase revenue, two commercial complexes and parking to be constructed on build-operate-transfer basis have also been proposed, according to Mr. Mamgain.

 

HMC budget proposals draw flak

Tuesday, 11 January 2011 06:36 administrator
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The Hindu        11.01.2011

HMC budget proposals draw flak

Special Correspondent

GHMC has unveiled a Rs. 3,311.14 crore draft budget for the year 2011-12, more than Rs. 650 crore compared to the preceding year. This, when it could spend just Rs. 219.93 crore till September last year on works and the revised estimates claim the figure will go up to Rs. 1,686.18 crore.

Yet undeterred, the municipal corporation set itself a lofty ambition of spending Rs. 2.031.79 crore on various infrastructure works in the next financial year with no tax hikes.

For bankrolling most projects, it is expecting largesse in the form of grants from Centre - Rs. 1,192.61 crore and a bank loan of Rs. 300 crore.

Mayor B. Kartika Reddy, also the ex-officio chairperson of the standing committee, presented the budget proposals for approval to the general body . However, not only corporators but Deputy Mayor Jaffer Hussain, floor leaders of all parties including the ruling Congress-MIM alliance, TDP and BJP were critical of the proposals.

They not only put forth several demands but also demanded a thorough review. But most of their protests were brushed aside and Ms. Reddy adjourned the meeting after more than five hours of debate asking Commissioner Sameer Sharma to incorporate changes .

At one point, corporators got divided into old city, core city parts of erstwhile MCH and suburbs, with each demanding a “special budget” for their respective regions!

Contesting it, MIM MLC Syed Amin Jaffri pointed out that Rs. 530-odd crore was sought to be spent in ex-MCH region with about Rs. 5 crore in each circle as against Rs. 2,700-odd crore in the suburbs or Rs.55 crore for each circle. “The government should be urged to give substantial share of tax revenues and grants to take works,” he said.

Earlier, the Mayor as well as Additional Commissioner (Finance) S. Balakrishna indicated that the government was considering the plea to release 95 per cent of profession tax collected to the tune of Rs. 150 crore as against Rs. 50 crore given this year. Ten per cent of motor vehicle tax collected or Rs.50 crore is also expected as per the Second Finance Commission recommendations as against Rs. 65 lakh this year.

Ms. Reddy said special focus would be on housing for poor and slum improvement programmes with an outlay of Rs. 1,069.09 crore. Revenues are expected from property tax collection - Rs. 653 crore (Rs.591 cr), advt. fee - Rs. 35 crore (Rs.31.5 crore), trade licensing fee – Rs. 60 crore (Rs.33.9 crore), surcharge on stamp duty – Rs. 210 crore and entertainment tax – Rs. 38.35 crore.

 

Budget promises development in all zones

Friday, 07 January 2011 07:26 administrator
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The Hindu        07.01.2011

Budget promises development in all zones

Staff Reporter

The ambitious Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation budget promises development ‘without fail in all zones.' It is proposed to construct a stadium, big park, swimming pool, cremation ground and master plan roads at a cost of Rs.44 crores in 2011-12.

In addition to the existing transfer station for solid waste management, two more are proposed at an outlay of Rs.3 crores. A new beach front will be developed at Lawson's Bay Colony spending Rs. 2 crores. Public toilets will be constructed at various places in the city at a cost of Rs. 4 crores.

While all school children studying in municipal schools would get two pairs of uniforms and a pair of shoes at an outlay of Rs.1.5 crores, Rs.17.85 crores is earmarked for infrastructure, and security to schools and cremation grounds.

To meet the growing water needs two more reservoirs are proposed to be constructed spending Rs.4.5 crores.

The allocations for Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission projects are: BRTS and Asilmetta flyover (Rs.135.88 crores); housing (Rs.25.75 crores); basic services for urban poor (Rs.30.18 crores); water supply scheme at Gajuwaka (Rs.5 crores) and supply lines for areas near Gajuwaka (Rs.5.49 crores); water scheme for One Town (Rs.7.61 crores), for the Central parts (Rs.75 crores), Malkapuram (Rs.5 crores); underground drainage in central parts (Rs.34.39 crores) and in merged areas (Rs.5 crores).

 
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