MARGAO
The Opposition picked holes in the Margao Municipal budget estimates for the financial year 2025-26, as the Council approved a Rs 5.39 crore deficit budget, perhaps the first time in the recent history of the A Class civic body.
While the receipts were pegged at Rs 94.49 crore, the estimated showed total expenditure as Rs 99.88 crore, a deficit of Rs 5.39 crore.
The opposition was quick to question the MMC’s administration in placing before the Council Rs 5.39 crore deficit budget. Margao Civic Chief Damu Shirodkar, however, said the Council would find ways and means to wipe out the deficit through revenue generation from different sources.
The opposition Councillors comprising of Ganashyam Shirodkar, Francis Joanes, Pooja Naik and others picked holes in the budget estimates, contending the estimates are not realistic to achieve the revenue targets.
On the other hand, Chairperson Damu Shirodkar stoutly defended the estimates, saying the administration has made several proposals keeping in mind the anticipated special government grants, including special grant for the renovation of the Margao Municipal heritage building costing Rs 14.5 crore.
Councillor Francis Joanes set the ball rolling when he demanded to know how the administration has arrived at the figures, insisting the administration has not come out with realistic projections.
Councillor Ganashyam Shirodkar echoed similar sentiments and tried to puncture the inflated figures in the budget estimates. When the Accounts officers insisted that stress would be laid on recovery of outstanding arrears to meet the target, Ganashyam wondered how come the civic body is functioning without an accountant for the last couple of months.
Saying the MMC will be only fooling the people of Margao by proposing an unrealistic budget, Ganashyam made a strong case for a private auditor to prepare the estimates in the future to come out with realistic figures and mop up revenue.
Incidentally, when the City Fathers questioned the projected revenue from rent on municipal properties, the civic chief defended the estimates, saying the civic body has prepared the ground work to recover revenue from the petrol pumps operating from Municipal property.
Geographic Information
System (GIS) survey
The Margao Civic Chief pinned his hopes on the ongonig GIS being carried out in the commercial capital to mop up additional revenue from business establishments operating in the city sans the mandatory trade license. He pointed out that the GIS survey stands completed in the two Municipal markets of Gandhi market and New Market, adding that the Civic body would go about the task of implementing the GIS survey recommendations.
Besides, Damu said Margao Municipal inspector have been told to fan out to various wards to cover 10 establishments to find out whether they possess the trade license or not. “The exercise has revealed that 45 per cent of the establishments are operating san trade license. We expect to mop up revenue on this head”, he assured the Council.
Garbage fees on govt
quarters, illegal houses
Participating in the discussions on the budget estimates, Margao City Fathers wondered why the government quarters owned by the PWD, WRD, besides the Konkan Railway Corporation are not levied garbage collection fees in lieu of garbage collection. Leave alone House tax, they demanded that the civic body should impose the garbage collection fees on these estbalishments.
Municipal engineer Deepak Naik asserted that the ongoing GIS survey will also cover the Goa government as well as Konkan railway quarters for tax collection.
Revenue from
mobile towers
Councillor Sadanand Naik raised the issue of the mobile companies not paying the mandatory rent to the Margao Civic body. He said the commercial capital plays host to a number of mobile towers and demanded to know the reason behind the failure of the companies to pay the rent. Municipal engineer, Deepak Naik replied saying that permissions for the mobile towers are being given directly by the Public works department.
