‘MCC budget has nothing new to offer’

The budget for the year 2019-20 presented by the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) had nothing new to offer despite 2019 being an election year, BJP corporators in the opposition benches said on Wednesday.

Opposition BJP leaders Premanand Shetty, Sudhir Kannur and Roopa D Bangera said no new schemes were introduced in the budget. The funds earmarked for the programmes aimed at welfare of SC/ST communities are meagre, they pointed out. Opposition member Roopa D Bangera said the state government had not provided enough grants to MCC.

Taxation, Finance and Appeals standing committee chairman Radhakrishna presented the budget for the financial year 2019-20 at the special budget meeting held at the corporation council hall. For the financial year 2019-20, the opening balance stood at 305.04 crores. The MCC expects a revenue of Rs 642.90 crore.

Revenue and payments

Out of the total Rs 947.94 crore, the planned expenses would be Rs 677.27 crore, leaving a closing balance of 270.67 crores. The actual revenue during 2018-19 as on December end is Rs 12,862.40 lakh. The revised budget is Rs 26,361.17 lakh. The estimated budget for the year 2019-20 is Rs 29,369.75 lakh.

The actual payments by the MCC during 2018-19 as on December end is Rs 11,701.82 lakh. The revised budget for payments is 18,611.68 lakh and the estimated budget for payments for the year 2019-20 is Rs 20,752.45 lakh. MCC Commissioner B A Nazir said that a special drive was launched to recover dues of self-assessment tax.

Tenders

From the present year, tenders would be invited for outdoor advertisements and hoardings, to ensure proper collection of revenue. Reacting to queries by the opposition members on the progress of the fourth phase of Nagarotthana scheme, the commissioner said that all works in the first phase of Nagarotthana scheme were completed.

In the second phase, out of Rs 100 crore, works were carried out at a cost of Rs 85 crore and the remaining Rs 15 crore grant from the government is awaited. In the third phase, Rs 79 crore was spent and 10 crore grant is awaited. A Rs 1-crore grant for drinking water is expected under SFC scheme, he added.

Mayor Bhaskar K termed the budget as people-friendly. Deputy Mayor Muhammed K was present.