Completion of Pilloor water supply scheme by July, special health committee to clear garbage in all the 100 wards, new bridges and flyovers, housing scheme for conservancy workers, e-governance initiatives and a new Council hall were a few of the announcements in the Corporation Budget for 2012-13.
Presented by R. Prabhakaran, Chairman, Finance and Taxation Committee, the AIADMK-led Council's budget is free of new taxes. And as in the past it is a deficit budget. The Corporation has estimated the deficit to be around Rs. 27 crore, which is Rs. 7 crore more than last year's.
Prior to Mr. Prabhakaran presenting the budget, Mayor S.M. Velusamy made a slew of announcements in his address to improve the city's infrastructure and provide basic amenities in the newly added areas. Incidentally, this is the expanded Corporation's first budget. (For the budget's salient features see graphics.)
The Corporation's total revenue (Revenue Receipts plus Capital Receipts) is Rs. 703.79 crore. The total expenditure (Revenue Expenditure plus Capital Expenditure) is Rs. 731.50 crore. The result is the aforementioned deficit.
The Corporation's income has grown by 78 per cent and expenditure by 76 per cent. The increase in income includes an increase of 52 per cent in revenue income. In the absence of revenue mobilisation efforts, the increase in income will keep the Corporation going, say official sources.
In terms of allocation of funds for land and buildings, hospitals, public toilets, markets, parks and gardens, bus stands, crematorium, etc. there is an increase of Rs. 151.83 crore.
As part of loan repayment and contribution, M. Prabhakaran says the Corporation will this year pay Rs. 1.50 crore to Tamil Nadu Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (TUFIDCO), a like sum to Tamil Nadu Urban Development Fund (TNUDF), contribute Rs. 45 crore towards Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) capital fund, Rs. 14 crore towards underground sewerage system scheme and Rs. 54 crore towards the storm water drain project.
AIADMK councillors, in the post-lunch session, welcomed the budget and showered encomiums on the Mayor for what they termed a “visionary” budget. S. Balan, Ward 62 Councillor, who opened the discussions, said the supply of 30 million litres a day of Pilloor water and the announcement to dig 200 borewells across the city will ease water scarcity.
P. Rajkumar, Chairman, North Zone, said it was time for the Corporation to pay attention to problems in added areas, where a number of problems exist. He highlighted shortage of staff, the need for shifting omni bus stand from Sathyamangalam Road, an early solution to the impasse surrounding the commissioning of sewage treatment plant in Nanjundapuram and a bus stand outside the city on the lines of Koyembedu in Chennai.
K.R. Jayaram, Chairman, East Zone, urged Mr. Velusamy to take up with the State Government the need for a ring road for the city.
