The Times of India 30.04.2013
Aurangabad Municipal Corporation takes steps to reduce expenditure
AURANGABAD: The Aurangabad
Municipal Corporation (AMC) has initiated several cost cutting measures
to mitigate the burden of heavy fiscal deficit. Municipal commissioner
Harshdeep Kamble recently instructed officials to bring down expenditure
on telephone bills, local conveyance and advertising.
Kamble emphasised on the need to adopt means to cut down on the civic body's expenditure. During a recent meeting, he directed the department heads to prepare a detailed report of expenses and sought suggestions to reduce those.
Deputy engineer Devidas Pandit on Monday said he would submit a detailed report of expenses on transportation. He said besides city mayor, the municipal body has provided twenty six vehicles to its senior officers for local conveyance.
As per the state government guidelines, the officers get petrol and diesel quota. For petrol cars, AMC pays Rs 5,000 to the officers every month while for diesel cars it offers 125 litre fuel. Officers pay for all the expenses beyond the fixed limit.
Pandit said some senior officers had been granted relaxation from the quota. The civic body also has two hundred vehicles like trucks, mini-trucks, hook loaders, skip loaders, auto rickshaws for solid waste management and other civic facilities.
A senior officer in public relation department said the civic body was planning changes in its advertising budget to cut down expenditure. "We have brought down the number of newspapers to give advertisements. Now, the corporation will give ads only in three newspapers against the earlier pattern of six," he said.
Officer in accounts department said the corporation plans to reduce monthly payment for mobile phones. The civic body pays fixed charges for the mobile phone to its officers. The civic body reimburses Rs 240 every month per staff towards the mobile bill.
Apart from this, AMC is also gearing to mop up more taxes in the current financial year. The civic body has formed three special teams for collection of property tax, which will start recovery from May 2013. Previously, the tax collection department used to swing into action in the last financial quarter. Further, to improve revenue generation through water charges and property tax from slum dwellers, the corporation is planning door to door visits.
Kamble emphasised on the need to adopt means to cut down on the civic body's expenditure. During a recent meeting, he directed the department heads to prepare a detailed report of expenses and sought suggestions to reduce those.
Deputy engineer Devidas Pandit on Monday said he would submit a detailed report of expenses on transportation. He said besides city mayor, the municipal body has provided twenty six vehicles to its senior officers for local conveyance.
As per the state government guidelines, the officers get petrol and diesel quota. For petrol cars, AMC pays Rs 5,000 to the officers every month while for diesel cars it offers 125 litre fuel. Officers pay for all the expenses beyond the fixed limit.
Pandit said some senior officers had been granted relaxation from the quota. The civic body also has two hundred vehicles like trucks, mini-trucks, hook loaders, skip loaders, auto rickshaws for solid waste management and other civic facilities.
A senior officer in public relation department said the civic body was planning changes in its advertising budget to cut down expenditure. "We have brought down the number of newspapers to give advertisements. Now, the corporation will give ads only in three newspapers against the earlier pattern of six," he said.
Officer in accounts department said the corporation plans to reduce monthly payment for mobile phones. The civic body pays fixed charges for the mobile phone to its officers. The civic body reimburses Rs 240 every month per staff towards the mobile bill.
Apart from this, AMC is also gearing to mop up more taxes in the current financial year. The civic body has formed three special teams for collection of property tax, which will start recovery from May 2013. Previously, the tax collection department used to swing into action in the last financial quarter. Further, to improve revenue generation through water charges and property tax from slum dwellers, the corporation is planning door to door visits.
