The Madurai City Corporation Mayor Thenmozhi Gopinathan today presented a budget with the deficit working out to Rs. eight crore, compared to the deficit of Rs.5.53 crore in the corresponding period of last year.
The Mayor said the corporation planned to earn an extra revenue of Rs. eight crore by streamlining property tax and professional tax.
The property tax due for this year was Rs.80 Crore, and of this eighty per cent had been collected.
The Corporation had decided to lease the renovation, and maintenance of the famous Rani Mangamma Choultry to private Voluntary agency, and bring it back to life.
Under Slum development scheme (2010—11), 7000 houses had been converted into concrete houses.As many as 130 slum areas had been provided better road infrastructure.
The Corporation had proposed to launch a separate water storing scheme to overcome the problem of drinking water scarcity during summer. Though it was getting 1500 million cubic litres of water from the Vaigai dam, it was not possible to draw the same amount of water during summer. The finance for project would be sought as loan from a funding agency.
The Corporation has sought Rs.1145 Crore for undertaking underground drainage project, and other amenities in the new areas, as the corporation limit had been extended from 51.82 sqkm to 148 sqkm with addition of nearby town panchayats and Municipalities.
The Integrated bus stand at Mattutavani was being modernised at a cost of Rs.4.30 crore, and a gas-fired crematorium was coming up at a cost of Rs.1.75 crore at Thathaneri.
During the budget session the opposition councillors criticised the corporation for drawing money to the tune of Rs.582.75 lakh on ring road maintenance without undertaking any maintenance. The officials could not give a proper reply when the councillors raised questions about how the surplus fund to the tune of Rs.2.69 crore that would be generated by the Ring road in 2011—12 would be spent. The councillors said the ring road was in a bad shape.
