CMC budget meeting witnesses unruly scenes

Face-off:Councillors confronting one other during the presentation of the budget inMandya on Wednesday.

Amidst commotion and unruly scenes, the Mandya City Municipal Council (CMC) Budget for 2016-17 was presented and approved here on Wednesday.

The meeting was mentioned as a ‘General Body Meeting’ in the agenda.

It began on a stormy note soon after CMC president H.C. Boregowda announced that he would present the expected revenue and expenditure for the current financial year.

The former presidents B. Siddaraju and M.P. Arunkumar, both co-members of the Congress, objected for not mentioning it as ‘Budget Meeting’ in the agenda and sought an explanation.

Soon, there were unruly scenes everywhere and members of the Opposition Janata Dal (Secular) and some Independents attempted to storm the dais. Mr. Boregowda, three-time councillor, and others tried to mollify the councillors.

Later, Mr. Boregowda presented the Rs. 96.02-lakh surplus budget, which was passed in just a few minutes.

According to Mr. Boregowda, Rs. 57.96 crore will be raised from various sources during the financial year.

The total revenue, including the opening balance of Rs. 12.74 crore, will go up to Rs. 60.70 crore, and expenditure has been put at Rs. 59.74 crore

Some major revenue proposals are: 14th financial commission (Rs. 4 crore), property tax (Rs. 6 crore), State Finance Commission (Rs. 5.12 crore), solid waste management cess (Rs. 50 lakh), property tax penalty (Rs. 60 lakh), trade licences (Rs. 35 lakh), advertisements (Rs. 4 lakh), land development (Rs. 35 lakh), building plans (Rs. 25 lakh), road cutting fee (Rs. 5 lakh) and interest from bank accounts (Rs. 20 lakh).

Some major expenditure proposals are: Interest on loans of KUIDFC (Rs. 1 crore), construction of vegetable market (Rs. 5.70 crore), drainage and culverts (Rs. 5 crore), electricity bills for water supply and street lights (Rs. 10 crore), pure drinking units and new water lines (Rs. 1.8 crore), garbage bins (Rs. 35 lakh), to construct ‘Amritha Mahotsava Bhavan’ (Rs. 4.98 crore), roads and walkways (Rs. 3.85 crore), solid waste management and disposal (Rs. 1.85 crore), parks (Rs. 85 lakh) and bridges (Rs. 60 lakh).

Vice-president Sujatha Mani, Commissioner T.N. Narasimha Murthy and others were present.