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Municipal Finance

Municipal authorities misusing public money: RTI Act Raksha Vedika

Tuesday, 18 January 2011 09:37 administrator
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The Hindu        18.01.2011

Municipal authorities misusing public money: RTI Act Raksha Vedika

Staff Reporter

Spent Rs. 47.52 lakh to check mosquito meance in Karimnagar

The Karimnagar Municipal Corporation has spent a whopping Rs. 47.52 lakh to check the mosquito menace in Karimnagar by operating the two fogging machines for a period of 22 months from January 2009 to October 2010.

Ever since, there was an outbreak of dengue fever cases in the town two years ago, the Municipal Corporation authorities were informed to launch a special drive against the mosquito menace through fogging machines. It is surprising to note that in spite of operating the fogging machines, the mosquito menace is being continued in the town.

Sounds strange! But it is a fact. These startling revelations were unravelled by the Right to Information Act Raksha Vedika district unit which collected the information from the municipal authorities under the RTI Act.

The municipal authorities have stated that they had been spending around 150 litres of diesel per day for two fogging machines to travel in entire town and using 22.5 litres of chemicals to destroy the mosquitoes.

RTI Act Vedika honorary president N. Srinivas, president T. Rajamouli have stated that the municipal authorities statements on the usage of fogging machines were farce and swindled the public money by claiming that they were operating the machines regularly. Contrary to the municipal statements, they stated that the fogging machines were not operated at least once in a fortnight in any part of the town.

Demanding a high-level vigilance inquiry into the swindling of public money by the corporation in the name of operating fogging machines, the RTI Act Vedika leaders said that there would have been more scandals in other sanitation works in the corporation.

They urged the district Collector, who is the special officer, to at least rise to the occasion and correct the irregularities and provide proper sanitation and check mosquito menace in the town by regularly operating the fogging machines.

  • 150 litres of diesel and 22.5 litres of chemicals used per day for two fogging machines: officials
  • A high-level vigilance inquiry into the ‘swindling of public money by the corporation' sought

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    More funds assured to GHMC

    Friday, 14 January 2011 06:28 administrator
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    The Hindu          14.01.2011

    More funds assured to GHMC

    Special Correspondent

    Minister agrees to release 95 p.c. of Profession Tax collected in city

    The government had agreed to release 95 per cent of the Profession Tax collected in the capital to the GHMC in the coming financial year of 2011-2012. Minister for Finance A. Ramnarayana Reddy made an assurance on the issue to Mayor B. Kartika Reddy and Deputy Mayor Jaffer Hussain when they called on him on Wednesday.

    Currently, the government is releasing Rs. 50 crore each year and the amount is expected to swell up to Rs. 150 crore if the substantial portion of Profession Tax collected is released. In identical representation made to the Finance Minister and also Minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Maheedhar Reddy, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor complained that GHMC was being deprived of its legitimate share in revenue transfers from the Government.

    Apart from Profession Tax compensation, property tax on government buildings and Motor Vehicle Tax compensation too was sought.

    They pointed out that the government had issued orders way back in 1997 to pay property tax on its buildings lumpsum rather than through individual departments. But, only an amount of Rs.20.13 crore was being released to GHMC where as the actual demand is Rs.183 crore.

    Similarly, the government took over the collection of Motor Vehicles Tax from the local bodies while promising adequate compensation to the municipalities. Yet only Rs. 60 lakh per annum was being released to GHMC whereas a huge amount is being collected in the city by the Transport Department.

    Ms. Reddy pointed out that the municipal corporation was maintaining nearly 7,000 km of roads under its jurisdiction and thus incurring a huge expenditure.

    The government had also accepted the Second Finance Commission's recommendations to allocate 10 per cent of the MV Tax to the local body and hence, GHMC should be getting at least Rs. 50 crore a year is their reasoning.

  • Government releasing Rs. 50 cr. each year; amount expected to go up to Rs. 150 cr.
  • Property tax on government buildings, Motor Vehicle Tax compensation also sought
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    NMC staff start getting sixth pay panel wages

    Wednesday, 05 January 2011 10:03 administrator
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    The Times of India      05.01.2011

    NMC staff start getting sixth pay panel wages

    Sachin Dravekar, Jan 5, 2011, 01.57am IST

    NAGPUR: After a long wait, over 9,400 employees of Nagpur Municipal Corporation, including 1500 teachers, are smiling. The civic body has started giving sixth pay commission scales to all employees with effect from December 1. December wages are being paid now and so the fatter pay packets come as New Year gift for the employees. These employees including Class III and IV category were already paid an advance of Rs 3000 before Diwali.

    Mayor Archana Dehankar said that NMC had implemented sixth pay commission scales for all its employees. The employees were demanding new scales from October salary paid in November and an advance of Rs 5000.

    Standing committee chairman Sandeep Joshi told TOI that he had already made a provision of Rs 48 crore for increased wages in this year's budget. "We have recovered Rs 53 crore more revenue in first six months and another Rs 40 crore were recovered in last three months making it Rs 90 crore for nine months. Our total revenue is expected to increase by Rs 120 to 130 crore this financial year so we would be able to bear this burden," he said.

    Chief Accounts and Finance officer Madan Gadge stated that sixth pay commission scales would cost NMC an extra Rs 50 crore every year. It will cost Rs 12 crore this financial year. Earlier, NMC finance officials had said that new scales could not be implemented until proposal seeking relaxation in October 2009 government resolution, sent to urban development ministry, was cleared.

    The GR had prohibited all civic bodies having administrative expenditure more than 35% from increasing it any further. "As we have already recovered Rs 90 crore more revenue in nine months of this financial year, our establishment expenses will come under the prescribed limits," Gadge stated.

     

     

     
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