KMC bonanza for suburban areas

KOLHAPUR, March 30: The annual budget for 1999-2000 posting a surplus of Rs 5.19 lakhs and unveiling a special package for corporators fr...

KOLHAPUR, March 30: The annual budget for 1999-2000 posting a surplus of Rs 5.19 lakhs and unveiling a special package for corporators from suburban wards of Kolhapur Municipal Corporation, was approved today by the general body of the KMC at its meeting.

With the approval of the budget, corporators representing suburban wards will receive Rs five lakhs as funds towards developmental works in their respective wards, while a corporator representating wards in the city will receive Rs three lakhs during this financial year. Similarly suburbs have been given special package for tarring of roads and water supply as well.

A corportor from suburban wards will receive Rs 1.5 lakhs for road works as against his counterpart from city who will be given Rs one lakh, for water supply provisions. Also, a suburban corporator will get Rs 25,000 more than his counterpart from the city. In all 37 suburban corporators will receive Rs 7.25 lakhs each, while 35 corporators from city will receive Rs 4.5 lakhs for developmental works in their areas.

These recommendations in the general budget were made by standing committee president R D Patil, which were today approved at the general body meeting. Elaborating over his recommendations, Patil said that the budget does not have significant provisions for bigger developmental projects, hence the standing committee recommended development of the city through corporator8217;s optional funds.

Amount to the tune of Rs 98.39 crore Rs 78.50 crore as revenue receipts, Rs 19.89 crore by way of capital receipts has been shown on the side of receipts in the budget, while total expenditure is planned to be Rs 98.34 crores, thus posting a surplus of Rs 5.19 lakhs. Earlier while presenting the budget to standing committee chairman on March 4, municipal commissioner Nitin Gadre, had expected revenue receipts of nearly Rs 72.65 crores. However after holding discussions with the administration, the standing committee chairman R D Patil, suggested an increase of nearly Rs 6 crores in revenue receipts, thus increasing total revenue receipts to Rs 78.50 crores.

These additional six crores rupees are expected to be earned by way of increased octroi collection after its privatisation and interest on fixed deposits of KMC in various banks. A total of Rs six crores will be spent on developmental works in the city, said R D Patil.

In a significant step towards funding developmental works in the city, the standing committee for the first time took a decision to divert interest earned by KMC over its deposits in various banks. Nearly Rs 31 crores have been deposited by KMC in various banks, over which it earns annual interest of RS 2.16 crores. This amount of interest will now be diverted for carrying out developmental works in the city through corporator8217;s optional funds.

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Among the prominent budgetary provisions, Rs 5.40 crores have been earmarked for primary education, while Rs 90.50 lakhs have been earmarked for road construction and repair works. Additional fund of Rs 56.25 lakhs than proposed by commissioner in his draft budget has been kept aside for construction of water supply pipelines in every ward of KMC after completion of Kalammawadi direct water supply scheme in December 1999. Besides, Rs 7.5 lakhs have been provided for development of 14 gardens in the city. In the budget proposal submitted by municipal commissioner Nitin Gadre on March 4 this amount was Rs 5.5 lakhs.

A provision of Rs 47 lakhs has been made for purchase of four new trucks of garbage disposal, a fire engine for fire brigade, an ambulance and completion of extension of Phulewadi fire station.