MAPUSA
The State Election Commission’s (SEC) approval to the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) to proceed with approval of its annual budget for the upcoming financial year will come as a relief for the council, which has faced delays due to imposition of the election code of conduct.
In response to the SEC’s decision, the council has scheduled a special meeting on March 27 to deliberate and ratify the budget proposals.
MMC Chairperson Nutan Bicholkar confirmed the development, stating, “We have received the permission from the SEC to discuss and approve the budget for the Mapusa municipality. The meeting will be held on March 27 at 11 am in the council hall.”
Bicholkar informed that the SEC has not imposed any specific restrictions on the nature of proposals that can be addressed within the budget.
This flexibility allows the council to deliberate on various aspects without constraints. The previous attempt to convene a special council meeting for budget approval had been abruptly cancelled due to the announcement of the parliamentary election schedule, which triggered the enforcement of the election code. This cancellation had led to concerns regarding potential financial disruptions for the civic body.
Former MMC chairperson Sandip Falari emphasised that under the current model code of conduct, the council would be limited in its ability to introduce new budgetary proposals or schemes.
Instead, he suggested that a routine financial statement of receipts and expenditures should be passed to ensure the smooth functioning of the municipality and prevent any paralysis in operations.
With the green signal from the SEC, the Mapusa civic body is poised to address its financial matters and move forward with its administrative obligations in the coming financial year.
