MARGAO: Gram Sabhas of three panchayats in Salcete on Sunday approved the budgets for the year 2018-19 and all three villages had a surplus budget considering the opening balance available as otherwise the expenditure was more than the receipts in all three villages.
Carmona gram sabha made some major changes in the budget before approving the same. The villagers demanded that the amount for maintenance of the ground be raised from the proposed Rs 3 lakhs to Rs 15 lakhs and also demanded that the hoarding tax be doubled.
Hence the Carmona village approved a budget having a surplus of Rs 31,18,000 as against the earlier projection of Rs 46,18,000 surplus. While the receipts were projected at Rs 67,22,000; the expenditure was pegged at Rs 87,93,000. However, given the fact that there was Rs 72,89,000 as opening balance, the budget approved was a surplus budget.
Even though Carmona is a coastal panchayat which has been promised Rs 6 lakh towards garbage management by the government, the budget projected only Rs 2 lakh as receipts from the government for garbage management even though it expects to spend Rs. 4 lakhs towards plastic disposal.
The other major receipts projected are Rs. 21 lakh by way of matching grants and Rs 8 lakh from the 14th Finance Commission. Although the panchayat collected Rs 5 lakh as house tax for the current year, it has projected receipt of only Rs 3.61 lakh for the next year.
The major expenses expected in the village are Rs 4 lakhs towards cutting of bushes and Rs 3 lakhs for cleaning of drainages.
The neighbour Orlim village projected receipts of Rs 16,75,600 as against the projected expenditure of Rs 21,81,500. However, considering that the village has an opening balance of Rs 33,50,000 the budget had a surplus of Rs 28,44,100.
The Orlim village has not utilized the funds allocated under the 14th Finance Committee for the current year and expects to collect Rs 3.50 lakh from house tax. Incidentally, though Rs 3 lakh was expected to be collected by way of house tax for the current year, the village collected Rs 3,86,742.
The budget for Betalbatim projects Rs 54,79,300 as receipts and Rs 1,18,62,811 as expenditure. However considering that it has an opening balance of Rs 99,02,811 the actual budget had a surplus of Rs 35,19,295.
Betalbatim despite being a coastal panchayat also projected as receiving only Rs 1 lakh towards garbage management even though the government has promised it Rs 6 lakh. Incidentally, the panchayat proposes to earn Rs 1 lakhs as garbage tax that is being introduced for the first time in 2018-19.
Betalbatim has provided Rs 40 lakh towards the construction of the panchayat ghar which is proposed on the first floor of the existing panchayat ghar.
