Raipur’s urban bodies collected Rs 17 crore in tax revenues in 'cashless' transactions during the current month, the Central Government has informed.
To illustrate the transaction volumes, 59 cities in the country have collected tax revenues of Rs 1,722 cr during November so far including dues payable. it informed.
These include; Ahmedabad- Rs .187 cr, Bhopal- Rs .27 cr, Chennai-Rs 80 cr, Faridabad- Rs.17 cr, Guwahaty- Rs 14 cr, Hyderabad- Rs .208 cr, Indore- Rs .32 cr, Kakinada (AP)- Rs .20 cr, Kalyan(Maharashtra)- Rs .170 cr, lucknow- Rs .23 cr, Raipur-Rs 17 cr, Visakhapatnam- Rs .16 cr, Amritsar- Rs .12 cr, Kanpur- Rs .30 cr, Mumbai- Rs .167 cr and New Delhi Municipal Council- Rs .84 cr.
As a part of the ongoing efforts to move towards cashless transactions of all kind, the Union Ministry of Urban Development has asked all the statutory 4,041 Urban local Bodies to shift to e-payments at the earliest. These cities and towns account for about 75% of the total 40 crore urban population in the country.
The Central Government’s message to the officials of these 4,041 urban local bodies was conveyed by Rajiv Gauba, Union Secretary(Urban Development) through interactive video-conferencing.
Senior officials of concerned States also participated during the half day long interaction on various aspects of ensuring cashless transactions.
State and city level officials were asked to promote internet banking (RTGS/NEFT), online banking using credit and debit cards for cashless transactions besides using Public Finance Management Systems(PFMS) developed by the Ministry of Financing for fund transfer, accounting and reconciliation up to the level of cities and towns.
Gauba emphasized that all transactions relating to both income and expenditure of urban local bodies needs to be shifted to e-payment mode. These include payment of Property Tax, Professional Tax, all user charges like water and power bills, all kinds of fee and license charges, online booking of community halls, issue and renewal of birth and death certificates, registration of shops and other establishments, enrollment of library membership etc.
Expenditure to be made cashless include payment of salaries and wages to all regular and contractual employees, all contract and work relate payments, procurements, beneficiary payments like social security etc.
City Governments were asked to take up necessary infrastructure and capacity building measures, awareness campaigns for opening of accounts for employees of all categories and their family members.
States have been asked to adopt Public Finance Management systems (PFMS) up to city level to enable transfer, accounting, reconciliation and monitoring of transfer of funds under various government schemes.
Officials from Madhya Pradesh informed that the major 7 cities have already enabled cashless transactions and all the 378 cities and towns would do so by March next year. Uttar Pradesh and Goa have reported using PFMS up to city level and found it to be very useful.
Union Minister of Urban Development M.Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated such cashless payment system introduced by the Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation and orientation camps for educating citizens on e-payment.
All Nagar Panchayats must narrow the gap between their income and the expenditure incurred, State Urban Administration and Development Department Minister Amar Agrawal had stated while reviewing the works of Nagar Panchayats of Bastar and Surguja regions here in July this year.
The Minister had directed Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Nagar Panchayats to formulate viable working plan for increasing the income of their respective Panchayat bodies so that they could be made self-reliant.
He also reviewed the works of 14 Nagar Panchayats from Bastar region and 18 from Surguja region.
“The State government wants that all urban bodies in Chhattisgarh to become open defecation free (ODF) by March 2017,” the Minister said.
For achieving the target, the Minister opined; as per the survey reports, the officers of urban bodies must ensure construction of toilets in every home and where it is not possible then public toilets should be constructed.
He suggested using of mobile van for supervising the work for construction of toilets.
Addressing the issue of Nagar Panchayat employees appointed through placement agencies he said that their attendance must be recorded through Biometric system.
“Without Biometric attendance, no payments will be made,” he said.
Agrawal warned that several financial irregularities have surfaced in the integral audit of Department which should be probed at the earliest or the persons concerned will have to face action.
Notably, the State Urban Development Agency (SUDA) had sanctioned Rs 4.85 crores to 13 urban bodies in Chhattisgarh under ‘Clean India Mission’, officials informed.
This includes sanction of Rs one crore to Bilaspur Municipal Corporation, Rs 97.35 lakh to Kharsiya Municipal Council, Rs 53.10 lakh to Jashpur Municipal Council, Rs 17.70 lakh to Katghora Municipal Council, Rs 45.50 lakh to Nagar Panchayat Sariya of Raigarh district, Rs 36.40 lakh to Nagar Panchayat Rajim, Rs 18.20 lakh each to Nagar Panchayat Daundi, Nagar Panchayat Maro, Nagar Panchayat Kharaud and Nagar Panchayat Bhanupratappur.
It is noteworthy that this amount has been sanctioned with recommendation of nodal officers (Clean India Mission Urban) of respective districts, officials informed.