MARGAO: A common noting in the audit reports of all 30 panchayats of Salcete is that there is a ‘huge variation in the budget estimates and actuals’, which means that the budget estimates prepared by the panchayats are not realistic.
What is shocking is that all the 30 panchayats have been slack in collecting various taxes though this is supposed to be their major source of income generation. In most panchayats, the actual tax collection has dropped in the four years for which the audit reports were submitted this year.
The panchayats generally collect house, trade, light, dog, cycle and garbage collection taxes. Incidentally, light tax collection has been dropped as this is now collected directly by the Electricity Department through the monthly electricity bills.
The panchayats have also been advised to drop the collection of dog and cycle tax as the receipts under these are minimal, very often not even crossing the Rs 100 mark.
According to auditors, the tax collection has increased in only seven panchayats.
Orlim has the highest increase, which is 18.04 per cent followed by Davorlim-Dicarpale which notched an increase of 16.85 per cent. The increase in tax collection by Loutolim and Paroda panchayats has been nominal which is below one per cent.
In seven panchayats, the drop in tax collection was by over 10 per cent of which three panchayats had a drop by 12 per cent.
The highest drop was noted in Dramapur Sirlim where the tax collection went down by 22 per cent followed by Telaulim (18.38 per cent). The three panchayats where the tax collection dropped by around 12 per cent are Cana-Benaulim, Chandor-Cavorim and Cavelossim while in Sarzora it dropped by 11.03 per cent and in Guirdolim (10.83 %).
With the exception of Ilha de Rachol, 29 other panchayats from the taluka are yet to collect taxes of over Rs one lakh.
Three panchayats with the highest deficit in tax collection are incidentally all coastal panchayats. Cana-Benaulim has the highest tax collection deficit of a whopping Rs 2,56,92,648 followed by Sernabatim-Vanelim-Colva-Gandaulim (Rs 1,01,09,751). Varca panchayat having failed to collect Rs 61,46,963 ranks third.
Ilha de Rachol Panchayat has only Rs 89,499 remaining to be collected while the other two panchayats with the least amount of taxes to be collected are Ambelim (Rs 3,10,610) and Sarzora (Rs 4,12,768).
