Team Herald
MARGAO: Buoyed by an opening balance of Rs 8 crore, the Loutolim gram sabha approved Rs 4.37 crore surplus budget for the financial year 2019-20 even though the projected receipts in the year were way below the projected expenditure. While the receipts were projected at Rs 64.29 lakh, the expenditure was pegged at Rs 4.26 crore.
Government grants amounting to Rs 20 lakh was the revenue source for the panchayat with Rs 9 lakh projected as receipts under the 14th Finance Commission. And though the panchayat collected only Rs 3 lakh as house tax for the current financial year, the amount projected in the budget is Rs 9 lakh.
The panchayat has projected Rs 4 crore expenses on public works with Rs 1.5 crore provided for undertaking construction and repairs of roads and another Rs 2.5 crore provided for repairs and construction of drains. Incidentally a sum of Rs 50 lakh is provided for construction of the new panchayat ghar.
The budget was slightly amended following an objection from a villager Joaquim Gracias who pointed out that the provision of Rs 5.50 lakh towards advocate’s fees was in violation of the government directive that panchayats can spend only Rs 30,000 per annum as legal fees.
The budget was accordingly amended and the provision for legal fees was dropped to Rs 30,000 instead of Rs 6.50 lakh.
