The Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) proposes
to distribute sites, levy betterment taxes, impose toll on Outer Ring
Road users and impose tax on vacant sites to generate revenue during the
financial year 2013-14.

On Tuesday, MUDA
Commissioner C.G. Betsurmath presented a surplus budget that envisages
revenue of Rs. 540.9 crore and expenditure of Rs. 539.32 crore.

Income sources

According
to the budget proposals, Rs. 140.2 crore would be raised by creating
new sites at Balahalli, Lalitadrinagar 1st stage, Shantaveri Gopala
Gowda Nagar and Rabindranath Tagore Nagar.

Distribution of sites would account for nearly 30 per cent of revenue.

Distribution
of houses under the group housing schemes is expected to generate Rs.
50 crore, while betterment tax on the ORR is expected to help rake in
Rs. 20 crore. City development fee on private developers and layouts is
expected to generate about Rs. 70 crore.

MUDA also
envisages the sale of over 300 civic amenities sites, bringing in Rs. 35
crore, while 109 CA sites would be sold to various organisations and
associations, raising Rs. 20 crore.

Corner sites

The authority hopes to raise Rs. 150.95 crore from the auction of intermediate and corner sites, a major money-spinner.

The
tax on vacant sites would be Rs.1 per sq. ft. This money would go
towards upkeep and maintenance of the area, which would otherwise be
overgrown with weeds.

Expenditure

The
bulk of expenditure would be development of new residential areas in
the city, including Lalitadrinagar 1st stage (North), Nalwadi
Krishnaraja Wadiyar Nagar, Swarna Jayanti Nagar, Lalitadrinagara 2nd
stage, Shantaveri Gopal Gowda Nagar 2nd stage and Balhalli.

MUDA has submitted the proposals for government approval. If implemented, it would cost Rs. 37.67 crore.

Funds
have been set aside for the development of gardens and parks, and
enhancing the green cover of the city. Vijayanagara 4th stage, Sathgalli
1st, 2nd and 3rd phase, Devanur 3rd phase, Vasanthnagar, Lalbahadur
Shastri Nagar, Vijayanagar 3rd stage, Shantaveri Gopal Gowda Nagar and a
few private layouts would benefit from Rs. 2.2 crore set aside for this
purpose.

MUDA plans to launch a programme called
Green+ (green cross) by taking up sapling planting along main roads, and
development of parks and lawns in new residential areas. As much as Rs.
8 crore has been earmarked for this.

At junctions

As per the budget, Rs. 3 crore has been set aside to develop major junctions and ease traffic.

Besides,
an outlay of Rs. 4 crore is for installation of busts of Sir M.
Visvesvaraya, Purnaiah, Mirza Ismail and N. Madhav Rao for their
contribution to the city. These would be at Visvesvaraya Circle,
Millennium Circle and Columbia Asia-Ring Road junction.

Development
of Lingambudhi lake, construction of an international standard
convention hall, development of playgrounds to promote sports and
enhancing of seating capacity of Bannimantap Grounds are some of the
other projects proposed in the budget.

MUDA chairman L. Nagendra, elected representatives and MUDA members were present.