Move comes after govt decides to give `9.11 cr grants to Corporation
the goan I network
PANAJI
At the annual budget for the year 2017, Panaji Mayor Surendra Furtado, Commissioner Deepak Desai and the 30 corporators resolved that since the corporation would be able to overcome its deficit, it was able to handle the
developmental work.
In its Budget 2017-18, CCP said last year, the corporation had received total receipt of Rs 42.37 crore and had incurred expenditure of Rs 48.04 crore, thus leading to a Rs 5.67 crore in deficits. This year, however, the state government has decided to give the corporation grants worth Rs 9.11 crore, thus allowing the deficit to be wiped off.
“The CCP had sent a file to the DMA worth Rs 5 crore in developmental work, but now that our deficit will be wiped off with the grants that the government will give us, we will write to the DMA on Monday requesting them to return the file back to us. In doing so, the work will come back to the CCP and we will be tendering the work ourselves,” said Furtado.
Other features of CCP’s budget include no increase in taxes except for the sanitation tax, also called garbage tax, that will be increased from Rs 365 to Rs 500 per annum. The sanitation tax for small offices is reduced from Rs 500 to Rs 300 per month.
A uniform increase was also made for renewal of all mobile towers in Panaji, by Rs 1 lakh per year and a 10 per cent increase with every year.
Sopo fee collection, that was met with debate among the corporators, has also been increased from Rs 10 to Rs 15 per sq mt. In addition, the corporation has also decided to increase the fee for fairs which till now was only Rs 20
per sq mt.
Provision for signboard licences was also increased from Rs 1.50 crore to Rs 2.25 crore. To help prove CCP’s approval of the signboard, a decision was also taken to display the permission number along with the sign.
The CCP has also decided to increase the renewal licence fee for mobile hand carts from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per annum and sanitation tax is increased from Rs 300 to Rs 500 per month.
Furtado also said that the CCP was expecting salary grants of at least Rs 5 crore from the government.
“Against this we have kept a provision of Rs 5 crore for developmental works in various wards of CCP from CCP funds. So also provisions will be made of Rs 50 lakh for electricity work as deposit works, Rs 10 lakh for Public Works Committee and Rs 20 lakh for market maintenance,” he said.
Provisions for trade licences have also been increased from Rs 1.60 crore to Rs 2.50 crore.
