... targets high, but falls short

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 25

Though the government has issued guidelines for ensuring 20 per cent, 5 per cent and 75 per cent of the Budget for establishment, contingency and development, respectively, the budget of the Municipal Corporation (MC) is far away from these as it has proposed 59 per cent for establishment, 3 per cent for contingency and only 38 per cent for development

After spending a maximum portion of the revenue on employees’ salaries and meeting other expenses, the MC will certainly have a little for development works. As always, the MC will always be looking towards grant-in-aid from the state government for minor development projects.

On paper, the MC has planned to spend Rs 112 crore on development work, out of which Rs 1 crore has been categorically kept for setting up dog sterilisation infrastructure to deal with the increasing number of stray dogs.

The Municipal Corporation has set a target to generate Rs 451 crore as revenue from its avenues but a look at the targets achieved in the current financial year and previous years, it seems an unrealistic task.

In 2018-2019, the MC had set a target to generate a revenue of Rs 83.27 crore from various taxes. However, it could collect only Rs 27.91 crore (only 33.5 per cent of the target) till December 31, 2018.

In the Budget, the MC, in its revised estimate, has claimed to get revenue of Rs 55.35 crore in the period from January 1, 2019 to March 31, 2019. However, a simple analysis is enough to establish that it is impossible. Further, the Municipal Corporationhas a target to generate Rs 47 crore from sale of property (Rs 40 crore), rent (Rs 2 crore) and street vending (Rs 5 crore). However, it could generate only Rs 4.16 crore from the same avenues though it had a target of Rs 26 crore.

Fund categories

The government's guidelines state that 20 per cent, 5 per cent and 75 per cent of the Budget should be reserved for establishment, contingency and development, respectively, but the MC's Budget has 59 per cent for establishment, 3 per cent for contingency and only 38 per cent for development.