Upkeep of century-old heritage municipal building, disaster management are key points in estimates
MARGAO
Provision for the upkeep and maintenance of the over century-old heritage Municipal building and for disaster management are the key points in the estimates for the 2018-19 financial year as the Margao Municipal Council has presented a Rs 4 crore surplus budget on Tuesday.
The Standing Committee meeting chaired by Chairperson Babita Angle Prabhudesai gave approval for the budget estimates on Tuesday after a host of changes. The estimated approved at the Standing Committee meeting will now be placed before the Council meeting in February.
While the revenue receipts have been pegged around Rs 75 crore and the expenditure put at Rs around Rs 71 crore, a surplus budget of Rs 4 crore.
Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai told the media after the closed-door meeting of the Standing Committee, attended by Chief Officer Johnson Fernandes, members and officials that the Council has made a budgetary provision of Rs 50 lakh for the upkeep and maintenance of the Margao Municipal building. “For two years, I was thinking of making a budgetary provision for the maintenance of the heritage Municipal building since there’s been no repairs or upkeep for want of funds. I have made it a point to incorporate in this year’s budget a provision of Rs 50 lakh to take up the maintenance of the building, including repairs and painting,” she told The Goan.
Babita further pointed out that a provision of Rs 15 lakh has been made in the coming budget for disaster management. “It has come to the notice of the elected Council that we are at the mercy of the authorities to take up small things under disaster management. As such, a provision has been made for disaster management in next year’s budget,” she said, adding that the Council has made a provision of Rs 25 lakh for garbage management, in addition to the provision already made in the budget.
The Chairperson said that a number of heads which have been existing in the budget has been done away with this time round. Sources, however, pointed out that whether the Council will achieve the revenue target will greatly depend on the grant in aid, which includes salary and development grant sanctioned by the government.
The Chairperson, however, exuded confidence that the Council will go all out to recover the huge outstanding tax arrears, saying the Council will continue to focus on the revenue recovery and waste management in the coming financial year as well. “The revenue recovery drive initiated by Chief Officer Johnson Fernandes has brought in rich dividends. We plan to further intensify the drive in the coming financial year as well,” she added.
