Unrealised taxes and revenue share from the state government became the focal point of budget discussion in the GHMC Council meeting on Tuesday, which also experienced some heated moments owing to political innuendoes exchanged between the ruling and opposition party members.
Budget proposals for ₹6,150 crore were passed by the council.
MIM member Mohammed Majid Hussain questioned GHMC’s inability to get the state budget allocations for GHMC during the past two years, which, he said, amounted to over ₹10,000 crore.
Also mentioning stamp duty share and other assigned revenues, the figure for which is shown as zero in the revised budget estimates of 2021-22, Mr.Hussain questioned the fresh figures shown in the budget and sought to know how GHMC aimed to realise the funds. Besides, losses from property tax waiver announced previous year amounted to ₹200 crore, which the government has not subsidised yet.
Even after being set off against the State Finance Commission grants, the loss suffered amounts to ₹377 crore, Mr.Hussain said.
He also pointed out that delayed presentation of budget proposals for 2022-23 went against GHMC Act.
Congress Coprorator M.Rajitha Reddy pointed out huge gap between budgetary estimates and actuals over the past few years, and said large amount is pending as property tax dues from government buildings. A total ₹714 crore is pending from 2,500 government properties over the past seven years, she said.
BJP corporator Madhusudan Reddy questioned pending bills of the small contractors and demanded payments for them on par with SRDP and CRMP agencies. Another member Devara Karunakar raised the issues of low budget allocation, incomplete double bedroom projects, hired vehicles, internal roads, and others.
Responding to the comments, GHMC Commissioner D.S.Lokesh Kumar expressed hope that the civic body might realise close to ₹600 crore to ₹ 700 crore from the central and state governments in the coming days. On the tax dues from government, he said ₹2,600 crore accrued from the central government while the cumulative arrears from the state government stood at ₹4,000 crore. GHMC is unable to initiate coercive measures as major portion of the dues is from hospitals and schools.
Sparks flew between TRS and BJP members, and members came close to fist fight, when TRS corporator M.Kavitha Reddy and BJP member Madhusudan Reddy passed political comments. Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi had to adjourn the session for a brief while.
