Rs 25 thali, 1k bonus for civic staff

SHIMLA: A Nagar Nigam thali for Rs 25 and a bonus of Rs 1,000. This is what employees of the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) have got. Mayor Sanjay Chauhan today presented a tax-free Budget of Rs 401.67 crore for the civic body, leaving behind an uncovered deficit of Rs 33.20 crore for 2017-18.

Sanjay Chauhan, Mayor (second from left), presents the MC Budget in Shimla on Wednesday. Photo: Amit Kanwar

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 22

A Nagar Nigam thali for Rs 25 and a bonus of Rs 1,000. This is what employees of the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) have got. Mayor Sanjay Chauhan today presented a tax-free Budget of Rs 401.67 crore for the civic body, leaving behind an uncovered deficit of Rs 33.20 crore for 2017-18.

Though the deficit for 2016-17 was Rs 33.20 crore, this time, the Mayor presented a revenue of Rs 44.53 crore in the Budget, a move being seen as a bid to lure voters ahead of the civic elections. The Mayor said during his five-year term, the civic body had come out of the red, adding that the city was set to bag the Smart City tag soon.

The Mayor said the Nagar Nigam thali would be started with the help of NGOs at five places in city. To curb drug abuse, the SMC would set up a nasha mukti kendra, he added.

Chauhan said the revenue was Rs 401.67 crore in 2016-17, expenditure Rs 357.13 crore under different heads while the surplus income was Rs 44.53 crore.

He gave the credit to civic officials and workers, councillors and residents of the city for “good governance”.

The Mayor said the SMC had launched a system to address grievances and parking apps. He said with Rs 2.50 crore, 22 online services ranging from submission of building maps to the payment of bills would be started.

“A Rs 5.5-crore recreational park will be developed at the dumping ground of Kanlog with the help of the Forest Department. Walking trails and fencing of the forest area at Glen and Summer Hill have been proposed,” the Mayor said.

On Central funds, the Mayor said Rs 23.72 crore was spent on the beatification of The Mall, which was nearing completion while a Rs 33.88-crore road project was under way. “The ropeway projects are in progress and will yield Rs 10.62 crore to the corporation every year,” Chauhan said.

For the youth and the poor, a skill development programme was started that benefited 65 youths and raised self-help women groups in the city.

The Mayor said the corporation was hopeful of seeing an increase in its property tax collection from Rs 13.12 crore to Rs 15 crore by March 31, 2017. There are 25,500 taxpayers. He said they would ensure round-the-clock water supply and hoped to increase income from water bills to Rs 22 crore from 29,653 water connections in the city. “Once the city gets additional 65 MLD water from the World Bank-funded Kol Dam project, consumers will have to pay Rs 30 per kilo litre instead of Rs 80.