Picking up holes in the Budget proposals for fiscal year 2016-17, South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s leader of Opposition (lOP) Farhad Suri on Tuesday pointed out glaring anomalies in the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC)’s annual Budget.
The Budget proposals and the deficit pegged by the SDMC bosses are at variance. While the corporation anticipates the fiscal deficit at `200 crore in its yearly budget, a glance at the data suggests that if the services continue the way they are, the corporation would undergo a deficit of `1,000 crore, the lOP said.
However, South MCD Mayor Subhash Arya denied these charges and said, “lOP is making false statements. We are the only corporation till now that has worked without taking a single penny as a loan. It is an achievement that we never demanded any money from anywhere. We generated more income and duly disburse payments. Even beldars have never had an issue with the payment. We would have disbursed pensions as well, and that will happen soon.”
Sticking to his claim, Suri said, “Deduct the Municipal Reform Fund of `150 crore, plus the projected income of `200 crore from House Tax earning and Professional Tax, collection figures would be around `3,000 crore which would be over `200 crore less than 2014-15 and deficit in current year would be nearly `1,000 crore.”
A trend in the allocation shows that the South Corporation has cut down on its budget. Suri pointed out that the Commissioner has cut the allocation for Public Health from `224.18 crore to ` 183.31 crore. The veterinary allocation has been reduced from `41.37 crore to `30.58 crore, which was pegged to curb the menace of increasing population of street dogs.
Moreover allocation to Community Services Department has been reduced from `145 crore to `59.5 crore. “What happens to SDMCs commitment to the poor, widows and oldIJ” said Suri.
According to Suri, the South Corporation’s receipts would have been much higher had they not delayed floating the Toll Tax Tender by over a year. “Due to the delay, the three MCDs together lost Rs 239 crore (from `312 crore (per year) in 2011-2014 to `551 crore (per year) in 2015-18).
While the Toll Tax actual collection has been shown as `74.60 crore in the budget speech, the annual revenue should be `120 crore if the monetary share is `10 crore. No explanation has been provided for the shortfall of nearly `46 crore. “No one expected SDMC to fair so poorly. We have proved beyond doubt that a corrupt and inept dispensation can destroy the best of organisations both in terms of finances and civic services.”