Hike in financial assistance sought for repair of houses

Congress leader Abdul Rauf urged MCC Mangaluru Mayor Premananda Shetty and President of Taxation, Finance and Appeals Standing Committee Shobha Rajesh to increase financial assistance given for house repair under Kuteer Bhagya to Rs 50,000 for beneficiaries from financially backward classes.

The budget had hiked it to Rs 35,000. But, the money is meagre to carry out any repair works. A load of sand costs Rs 15,000 and a bag of cement costs Rs 400. In
such a scenario, the financial assistance for the repair needs to be hiked, said Rauf.

He also urged them to hike the corporator area development fund to Rs 1 crore from Rs 50 lakh to take up development works in the wards.

Corporator Naveen D’Souza said that MCC’s revenue collection under property tax is less. There is a need to relook into the estimate of Rs 80 crore which MCC expects during the year.

There is a need to check on the pilferage of taxes. Further, the budget had not announced road safety measures, including earmarking funds for laying zebra cross, signal lights, reflectors and others, he said.

Corporator Praveenchandra Alva said that the funds earmarked for the construction of houses under various housing schemes should be increased.

Corporator Sudheer Shetty lauded the budget as eco-friendly for taking steps to plant saplings near the wet wells and STPs.

Mayor Premanand Shetty said the MCC will increase sanctions for each ward corporators for development based on the increase in the revenue collection.

“More emphasis will be given to make MCC a completely paperless office. The work of desilting Raja Kaluve in the city will be taken up from April,” he added.