KDMC budget presented

MUMBAI, FEB 11: The Commissioner of Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation KDMC, G T Bandri, presented the civic budget for the year 199...

MUMBAI, FEB 11: The Commissioner of Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation KDMC, G T Bandri, presented the civic budget for the year 1999-2000 to the standing committee on Wednesday. The Rs 179.90-crore budget which proposes to hike water tax to two and half times its present rates and octroi rates to one and half times shows an opening balance of Rs 5 lakh only.

Considering the actual octroi collections till November the target has been revised from Rs 89 crore 1998-99 target to Rs 58 crore, informed Bandri adding, quot;The rates will have to be increased since money will be needed for computerisation and provision of cash incentives to citizens and civic employees who help nab octroi evaders.quot; Hence the budget has set a target of Rs 75 crore by way of octroi collection. The property tax is expected to generate Rs 32 crore which may go up by nearly Rs 6 crore this year.

The KDMC will be spending Rs 35.91 crore on the maintenance of the water supply plants and Rs 5 crore toward the completion of the 90 MLD project. A further Rs 2 crore has been allocated for the new water supply scheme. For the residents who have had to live through two epidemics of jaundice and gastro this year the news that the KDMC will spend Rs 1.77 crore on sanitation and hygiene and Rs 3.64 crore on public health should come as some solace. The latter will include expenditure on starting a blood bank, modernising the casualty department, starting a public health laboratory and the hospital refuse disposal system.

Administrative expenses, the maximum under the head of expenditure, will take up Rs 49.89 crore, while the next major allocation is Rs 27.13 crore for sewerage management and Rs 17.13 crore for public works under the mega city project.

Against a demand for Rs 17.13 crore by the education committee, the budget has allocated only Rs 7 crore, of which Rs 25 lakh will be for repairs to old school buildings and Rs 50 lakh toward construction of new buildings.

Meanwhile, the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Transport continues to remain in the sidelines two years after it was set up and with of 40 buses in its fleet. The corporation has allocated Rs 2 crore against a demand of Rs 12.07 crore.