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MC plans to waive Horticulture Dept’s Rs 2.2 crore water bills

Wednesday, 10 November 2010 10:05 administrator
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Indian Express      10.11.2010

MC plans to waive Horticulture Dept’s Rs 2.2 crore water bills

Khushboo Sandhu Tags : Municipal Corporation, MC, Horticulture Posted: Wed Nov 10 2010, 01:32 hrs

Chandigarh:  After failing to recover pending Rs 2.2 crore dues against water bills to be paid by the Chandigarh Administration’s Horticulture Department, the Municipal Corporation (MC) is now planning to let go of the entire amount. Reason? The Horticulture Department has been transferred to the Municipal Corporation by the UT Administration with all its assets and liabilities.

Water bills amounting to around Rs 8 crore are pending against various departments and individuals of the city. While the MC is swift enough to issue notices or even disconnect water connections when it comes to default by residents, the same agency has not been able to recover such a hefty amount of Rs 2.2 crore from another government department and now wants to waive it off.

The Horticulture Department owes MC Rs 2.2 crore for the last one decade. Water was being used for irrigation of gardens and green belts, under the control of the UT Administration, for which they were required to pay the water bills to the MC.

While for all these years the civic body could not recover the mounting bills, officials are now all set to waive it. Municipal Commissioner Roshan Sunkaria has hinted this at a recent house meeting.

Asked about the matter, Sunkaria said, “The issue of pending bills is still under consideration. A final decision is yet to be taken in this regard.” Councillors, however, do not seem to agree with this view and are of the opinion that the pending bills should be recovered from the UT Administration. 

Said Councillor Chander Mukhi Sharma, “The water bills have been pending for more than a decade. Why were these bills not recovered earlier? The Municipal Corporation does not need to bear unnecessary liabilities. All the facts should be presented before the House and only then can a final decision be taken.”

From April to October this year, the MC managed to recover more than Rs 50 lakh out of a total outstanding amount of around Rs 8 crore. However, hindrances are already being faced in collecting bills from a number of government departments that have shifted their offices.

Repeated notices have not yielded much results. Apart from disconnection of water supply, the civic body has not been able to do much. Councillor Brig K S Chandpuri (Retd) pointed out that the rules should be the same for everyone. “While water supply to residents who do not pay bills is immediately disconnected, the civic body adopts a soft approach towards government departments. This should not be done and the bills should be recovered,” said Brig Chandpuri.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 November 2010 10:08
 

Ahmedabad may be spared Property Tax hike this year

Wednesday, 10 November 2010 09:29 administrator
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Indian Express           10.11.2010

Ahmedabad may be spared Property Tax hike this year

Express News Service Tags : Bhupendra Patel, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation Posted: Wed Nov 10 2010, 09:43 hrs

 Ahmedabad:  Bhupendra Patel, the newly-elected chairman of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation standing committee has promised no hike in Property Tax this year. He told The Indian Express that there is a limit to hiking Property Tax and expecting people to pay the same without any objection.

The AMC has to balance its expenditures with its revenue-generation capacity without subjecting the people to pay extra tax. Though the grants in lieu of the Octroi levy might not be as per the expectations, “but then we can always put forth our demand for increase in the quantum of grant because it is the backbone of AMC’s finances”, he said.

He detailed his plans for the newly-merged areas, where civic elections were held for the first time. “My priorities for these areas are to provide good roads, water and drainage and street lighting because they have been lacking them for quite a long time,” he said.

Patel said he was yet to meet the civic officials, with whom he wants to organise meetings zone wise to get a better grasp of the pressing issues. He said he was new to the kind of administration the AMC had become over the years and that he would welcome suggestions from all quarters. With his predecessor Asit Vora as the new mayor, there will be ample advice on project implementation and dossiers on the ongoing works and the like, Patel added.

 

GHMC seeks Rs 600 cr loan for projects

Wednesday, 10 November 2010 05:31 administrator
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The Deccan Chronicle  10.11.2010

GHMC seeks Rs 600 cr loan for projects

Nov. 9: Residents of nearly 800 colonies in the surrounding municipalities that were recently added to the city will be exempted from paying more taxes. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has abandoned its plan to rope in private parties to develop civic infrastructure like underground drainage network, drinking water distribution lines, cement roads and streetlight poles.

The idea was to increase property tax by 30 per cent in the 800 odd colonies in surrounding municipalities and repay the amount invested by the private parties. With the standing committee of corporators rejecting any hike in property tax, the GHMC has decided to obtain a loan of `600 crore and execute civic infrastructure works on its own in the peripheral areas.

“We have written to the state government seeking its permission to obtain a loan of `600 crore. A couple of banks are willing to give loan to the GHMC. The repayment of the loan will be done with internal financial resources of the corporation. Approval from the government is awaited,” the GHMC additional commissioner (finance/revenue), Mr Hari Krishna, said.

However, the existing norms such as 30 per cent share of house owners to get drinking water line and underground drainage connection charges among others will continue. “There is no change in the existing norms. The change is only in terms of GHMC executing the works instead of private agencies as proposed earlier,” he said.

Meanwhile, the GHMC draft budget estimates for the year 2011-12 have been completed with an outlay of over Rs 3,000 crore compared to Rs 2,600 crore for the current 2010-11 financial year.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 November 2010 05:32
 
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