Standing Committee sanctions RMC budget

Standing Committee (SC) on Friday met to sanction the RMC budget. Apart from focusing on the basic infrastructure agenda for 2006-2007, the committee firmly disagreed on the proposed additional levy of Rs10.86 crores vide various taxes and declared of minimising the pro posed tax imposition to Rs 3.86 crores from Rs 10.86 crores.

"After studying the proposed tax structure we concluded that the proposed water betterment charge, cable tv charge, street light tax, fire tax, pollution tax and 2.5% surcharge on octroi would be eliminated from this proposal, thus collecting genuine and essential tax money valuing worth Rs 3 crores from drainage and conservancy tax," said Nitin Bhardwaj, standing committee chairman and BJP counsellor.

Apart from advocating basic infrastructure facilities, the SC was by and large on the corporatisation of the civic body. Nitin Bhardwaj and RMC mayor Dhansukh Bhanderi disclosed few of their economic charter plans envisaging growth in terms of revenue and focusing on 'servicing' the Rajkotians as a civic body, instead of slamming taxes.

"We are planning to spend Rs 125 crores on overall development of the city primly facilitating to strengthen the basic infrastructure mantra of the Municipal Commissioner. This apart, out of Rs 750 crores to be spend for a span of five years, we are planning to spend Rs 125 to 150 crores this fiscal year," explained Bhardwaj.

Total budget is estimated to be Rs 316 crores out of which we will spend Rs 125 crores and additional Rs 45 crores shall be spend vide Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission scheme as 50% amount shall be provided by Government of India, 20% by the State Government and 30% by Municipal Corporation. In total we are planning expenditure of Rs 170 crores from the budget, he added.

We are concerned about drinking water issue, providing space for social and cultural occasions and entertainment zone in form of a Defence park, said Bhanderi. "We are also planning to innovate the entire RMC premises, install punch card system and uniform code for employees. We wish to corporatise the image of civic set-up and become a civic friendly destination," he said.

Income proposals were also on the priority charts, "We are working out detailed proposal on city hoardings, we are going to streamline the whole process and would be very shortly compelling the private contractors and players to adhere to a particular set of protocol and design while displaying their hoardings," claimed Bhanderi.

We do not mind if initially we loose on money; but we want our city to look beautiful, he added. Other income source is taxes and octroi, "We are negotiating with private company for installing a remote video surveillance system at all the seven octroi posts to monitor city traffic, he said.