Amid fund constraints and a cumulative opening deficit of Rs 1962.90 crore, the House at Kolkata Municipal Corporation echoed with recommendations of increasing the income of the civic body.
Councillors of both, the ruling party and the Opposition, asserted ways that could add to the income of the municipal corporation and help it stay afloat during financial burdens.
Speaking during the post introductory session of KMC’s annual budget for 2024-2025, councillor of Ward 24, Ellora Saha underscored the problems of illegal parking of vehicles suggesting that proper parking fees be taken from the owners to solve the issue and help generate more revenue for the civic body. The councillor also underscored how commercial units are being run at immovable properties. The councillor suggested that through proper steps, the income could add to the income of the civic body.
Another councillor of the ruling party, Ratna Sur made similar assertions underscoring that there are several stretches of land that are actually owned by the civic body but are encroached at present. According to the councillor, if those land parcels are brought under the possession of the civic body, it would bring income to the municipal corporation.
Echoing the suggestions, Left councillor of Ward 103, Nandita Roy, recommended a time-bound parking with proper charges for private and commercial vehicles that lay parked on the city roads indefinitely without the parking fees being paid. The councillor also made many other suggestions like a dedicated hospital for patients of tuberculosis, list of unassessed properties, issues of hot mix being used on roads, increasing population but vacancies in solid waste management department not being filled up accordingly, paid leaves for 100 days’ workers on certain public holidays and so on.
One of the other points on which some of the other councillors of the ruling party and the opposition agreed to, was the allocation of some maintenance funds in each borough. According to Trinamul Congress councillor of ward number two, Dr Kakoli Sen, on many occasions, it is observed that a small work gets obstructed due to fund problems. The councillor, therefore, suggested that some amount be allocated to each ward or at least borough wise for maintenance that could be utilized for such works. BJP councillor Vijay Ojha also felt that after the deduction of 18 percent of GST from the borough fund of rupees 25 lakh, the remaining amount turns out to be insufficient for carrying out the works of various wards.