TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-ga.com
PANJIM: The Commissioner of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP), on Tuesday presented Rs 3.43 crore deficit budget for the year 2014-15. The budget however, does not propose any additional taxes nor any hike in the existing tax structure. The CCP has been reeling under the loss of over Rs 9.49 crore despite presenting almost zero deficit budget for the last financial year.
Moreover it is interesting to note that the budget has no striking feature as it has failed to promise better amenities and development of the city. The corporation has earmarked Rs 3.50 crore for repairs of roads, drains and new works along with Rs 1.15 crore for solid waste management and works under JNNURM.
The budget presented Tuesday morning shows income generation of Rs 34, 07, 51,930 and expenditure to the tune of Rs 28, 00,81, 000. However, of the total Rs 34, 07,51,930 income generated, the corporation is uncertain about Rs 10,84,00,00 income that is expected from collection of market rent (Rs 4.50 crore) and various pending arrears like house tax (Rs 3.50cr), trade (Rs 1cr), signboard (Rs 1.16 cr) and sanitation (Rs 68 lakh).
The budget meeting saw a much heated argument on corporation projection of Rs 10.84 cr revenue from uncertain heads. Councillors Rudresh Chodankar and Yatin Naik, refusing to accept the figures said that the amount should not have been highlighted in the budget revenue generation sector, when CCP claims there is no probability that the funds would come.
CCP has projected Rs 9 crore revenue generation through house tax, Rs 3 crore through construction licences, Rs 2 crore from sanitation including garbage and Rs 2 crore from octroi. The other major income generating heads include pay parking, rent of corporation buildings, sopo from vendors, trade, income on investment and others.
Salaries of CCP employees have been the major expenditure head of the corporation, which will be spending Rs 17.33 crore along with another Rs 33 lakh as honorarium to mayor and corporators.
The corporation has to pay over Rs 1 crore arrears on electricity and water bills of the municipal market. It has also earmarked nearly Rs 95 lakh expenditure on vehicles.
While former Mayor Vaidehi Naik objected to the less income projected through sanitation from hoteliers. Rudresh Chodankar and Naik demanded revision of garbage or sanitation fee structures for hotels, which are the second largest producer of waste in the city.
At the end of debate, the mayor agreed to hike the fee substantially, which will also increase the corporation’s revenues. The issue would be tabled during the standing committee meeting, Furtado assured.
During the meeting, Commissioner Sanjit Rodrigues informed corporators that since April 2011 till March 31, 2013 there are outstanding bills of Rs 2.79 crore. He said that in last seven years, the outstanding bill amount is almost Rs 4.65 crore of which Rs 1.26 crore is been cleared by the present council.
