Council also saving about Rs 1.6 lakh per month by conserving water, electricity, fuel
Sanquelim Municipal Council Chairperson Siddhi Prabhu with the municipal logo in the presence of other councillors, Chief Officer Shripad Majik, councillors, engineers, and staff.
BICHOLIM
Despite being a B-grade municipal council, the Sanquelim Municipal Council (SMC) has successfully implemented a special recovery drive to collect pending dues, resulting in a record additional revenue of Rs 1.18 crore.
This marks the first time in the municipality’s history that such a significant amount has been collected through various channels.
In addition, the SMC is currently saving approximately Rs 1.60 lakh per month through measures such as conservation of water, electricity, and fuel, providing further financial benefit.
The budget meeting of the SMC was held at the municipal office in the presence of councillors Yashwant Madkar, Praveen Blegan, Riyaz Khan, Anand Kanekar, Vinanti Parsekar, Deepa Jalmi, Rashmi Desai, along with Chief Officer Shripad Majik, Junior Engineer Subhash Mhalshekar, Dheeraj Nagvekar, and other officials.
The council has implemented several initiatives contributing to monthly savings of around Rs 1.6 lakh, including installation of solar power systems on rooftops, utilisation of well water in the market area, and deployment of 10 electronic garbage collection vehicles. These measures have supported overall revenue growth.
“This record additional revenue of Rs 1.18 crore demonstrates what can be accomplished with focused attention on revenue recovery. Success is due to the collective efforts of all councillors, municipal staff, and the support and guidance of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant,” said SMC Chairperson Siddhi Prabhu.
“With consistent focus on revenue enhancement and recovery of pending dues, it is possible to bring the municipal council into profit.”
A special drive was undertaken to recover long-pending dues such as house tax, garbage tax, rent, and other charges, linking them with the provision of municipal services and certificates. This initiative has yielded strong results, enabling the recovery of dues that had been pending for several years.
“The SMC will now officially adopt and display its logo, which won first prize in a design competition held last year. Special tiles featuring the logo will be installed across municipal buildings and properties,” added Prabhu.
During the budget meeting, emphasis was placed on continued recovery of pending dues, and allocation of substantial funds for the development of all wards.
The achievement of increased revenue and excellence in waste management was celebrated during the meeting. The municipality also received a special award from the Mineral Foundation for its outstanding work in waste management.
Senior councillor Vinanti Parsekar cut a cake to mark the occasion, in the presence of Chairperson Siddhi Prabhu, Chief Officer Shripad Majik, other councillors, engineers, and staff members.
