In what comes as a boost to the councillors of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the civic body has decided to increase the fund allocations for the boroughs and the public representatives.
The move is aimed at enabling the councillors to carry out developmental works without getting obstructed due to fund constraints.
The decision was announced by the mayor of KMC, Firhad Hakim today during the concluding hours of the three-day annual budget session at the KMC House today.
According to Mr Hakim, presently, a councillor is allocated Rs 15 lakh as ‘councillors’ fund and rupees. The amount has been increased to Rs 20 lakh for councillors. Likewise, Rs 25 lakh was allocated to a borough which has been revised to Rs 30 lakh, informed the mayor.
Notably, a demand to increase the councillors’ and borough funds had been echoing in the monthly House of KMC. Even during the concluded Budget Session for 2024-2025, a demand to allow an increase in the borough funds came from both-the councillors of the ruling party and the opposition alike. During yesterday’s budget discussion session, Trinamul Congress councillor of Ward 2, Dr Kakoli Sen, pointed out about obstruction in carrying out small works in the ward due to fund problems. The councillor suggested that some amount be allocated to each ward or at least borough-wise for maintenance that could be utilized for such works. A similar recommendation was made by another councillor of the ruling party, Ratna Sur. The councillor had asserted on borough wise fund allocation. Later, BJP councillor Vijay Ojha agreed to the problem and had underscored that after the deduction of 18 per cent of GST from the borough fund of Rs 25 lakh, the remaining amount turns out to be insufficient for carrying out the works of various wards.
Inset
Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Firhad Hakim inaugurated ‘Toilets on Wheels.’ The facility, as pointed out by the mayor, is a mobile toilet equipped with a baby feeding unit, sanitary napkin dispensers changing room along with a toilet. As informed by Mr Hakim, two mobile toilets were flagged off today while a few more are to be added to the fleet soon. The Toilets on Wheels are to be operated in busy pockets of the city.