MARGAO: The budget approved by the Margao Municipal Council has been routinely prepared without taking the ground realities into account and many heads are there just for the sake that they were there at one time.
For example, Municipal Rates and Taxes are proposed at Rs 16.97 crore the same figure that was proposed for the last financial year even though the actual for last year was a mere Rs 7.96 crore. Similarly ‘revenue derived from Municipal properties is pegged at Rs 15.2 crore a little higher than the Rs 14.09 crore projected last year. However, the actual collection last year under this head was only Rs 6.88 crore.
The MMC expects Rs 43.67 crore as ‘Grants and contributions from Government’ which is a little higher than the Rs 42.67 crore it had projected last year. Interestingly, it got only Rs 7.79 crore as grants from the government last year. Probably the situation will change this year as Vijai Sardessai is a minister.
In the expenditure too same largesse or going by the earlier books is observed. Last year MMC expected to spend Rs 18.43 crore on general administration when in reality it spent only Rs 6.57 crore and yet for the current financial year it has projected an expenditure of Rs 18.46 crore.
Towards Public Health and Convenience it has projected an expenditure of Rs 54.58 crore last year and even though it spent only Rs 13.86 crore, for the current year the expenditure is pegged at Rs 54.64 crore.
Going through the budget document, it is apparent that certain heads are there just for the sake of being there and money is projected to be either received or spent under that head even though they no longer exist.
For example even though the Mamlatdar is now collecting the entertainment tax, the MMC budget document shows receipt from Tax on concerts, film etc.
Similarly, though the professional tax is kept in abeyance as it is under litigation for many years now, an amount is shown as receivable under Tax on Trades and Profession (Professional Fees).
Accounts Department officials admitted that fee from impounded cattle is just a provision, as MMC neither impounds cattle nor has plans to do so in the near future.
The budget projects receipts from slaughter houses even though all slaughter houses that were operating under the MMC jurisdiction have closed down. And even though the MMC does not have any scheme or plans to have paid parking, money is shown as receivable under “collection from parking fees”.
