NCP,Oppn united against Pardeshi’s maiden Rs 2024-crore budget
Municipal Commissioner Shrikar Pardeshis maiden budget of Rs 2,024 crore has come under criticism from both the Opposition and the ruling Nationalist Congress Party.
Municipal Commissioner Shrikar Pardeshi’s maiden budget of Rs 2,024 crore has come under criticism from both the Opposition and the ruling Nationalist Congress Party. At the civic general body meeting held on Tuesday,opposition corporators said the budget would take the PCMC to financial bankruptcy while ruling party members said the budget was dictated by local political goons.
The high-pitched discussion on the budget that lasted nearly 10 hours had the Pardeshi administration on the backfoot as corporator after corporator punched holes in the provisions and plans envisaged in the draft budget. As many as 39 corporators put forth their views. The budget was,however,approved by the general body without changes. Officials said since the budget draft was “lock in”,there was little chance for making changes. Mayor Mohini Lande presided over the meeting.
Initiating the debate,Opposition leader Shrirang Barne said: “The ruling party and the administration are pushing the PCMC towards bankruptcy. Both the ruling party leaders and the civic administration are hand-in-glove who have doubled the taxes and made life miserable for citizens. And now Local Body Tax will be imposed from next year. Gunthewari files have been pending for years. They should be disposed of quickly.” He advised the administration to make proper use of money collected from honest tax paying citizens.
Shiv Sena corporator Seema Savle said: “If LBT is not implemented effectively,PCMC revenue will be hit hard. Along with the LBT,the administration should pay attention to effective collection of cess from building permissions,water tax and property tax. While property tax collection has seen a rise this year,the water tax collection has been found limping.”
She alleged that civic officials in cahoots with builders were spawning illegal water connections in town. Savle said the provision of Rs 270 crore for slum rehabilitation project and Rs 205 crore for housing for economically weaker sections was misleading. “The Rs 294 crore reserved for closed pipeline project will not be put to use this year too. In keeping with future water requirement of the town,it was time that a new drinking water plan was taken up by PCMC,” she said.
Another corporator Sulbha Ubale said,“Since last year,the ward-level works are progressing at a snail’s pace. Though taxes are rising,civic services are falling woefully inadequate.”
Advising administration not to show false dream of big projects,Ubale said the civic administration should make all-out effort to get financial assistance pending with the state government.
The ruling NCP corporators too were vociferous in criticising the budget. “There is nothing new in the budget,” said former mayor Yogesh Behl. “Bank deposits have gone up from Rs 540 crore to Rs 700 crore…We have enough money in hand,but we are not able to implement development. Taxes are increased,but money is not spent. If this is not inefficiency,what is?” Behl asked.
Another NCP corporator Vilas Nandgude said: “Since the civic chief took charge,he has been aggressive in his approach. However,the same aggressiveness is not visible in his budget. Instead of including suggestions made by corporators in the budget,the civic chief seems to have given priority to suggestions made by local goons.”
Former mayor R S Kumar said: “Instead of giving prominence to smaller works,PCMC administration is concentrating on bigger projects. This is wrong. Has the administration put schemes like housing for economically weaker section and WiFi in cold storage?” He alleged that the lowest quotation for development projects were being accepted,thereby compromising with the quality of work. He said a senior official had built a bungalow in Aundh area and it should be probed.
Corporator Narayan Bahirwade said: “Last year,Rs 420 crore was reserved for capital works,but works worth only Rs 87 crore were carried out. Similarly,development work worth Rs 511 crore is pending under JNNURM.”
Among others,corporators Aparna Doke,Ashwini Chikhale,Rahul Jadhav,Shamim Pathan,Zamabai Barne,Rama Ohwal,Vinaya Tapkir,Sujata Palande,Prashant Shitole,Ulhas Shetty,Arun Borhade,Rajendra Kate,Ajay Shitole,Nitin Landge,Sanjay Kate,Nanda Takwane,Suman Netke,Ajit Gavhane,Shantaram Bhalekar,Baba Dhumal,Dhananjay Alhat,Asha Shendge,Chandrakant Sonkamble,Ajay Saykar and Nilesh Barne put forwards their points on the budget.
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