Kakinada municipal corporation approves Rs.240.27 cr budget estimates
KAKINADA: Kakinada Municipal Corporation (KMC) approved the budget estimations of Rs. 240, 27, 31,000 for the year 2021-22 and also adjusted budget estimates of Rs. 202, 55, 89,999 after it was introduced by Municipal Commissioner Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar at a meeting chaired by Mayor Sunkara Pavani here on Saturday.
The budget shows Rs.77.07 crore of revenue expenditure and capital expenditure of Rs.160.20 crore and Rs. three crore loans. However, Telugu Desam corporators Vommi Bala Kameswara Rao (Balaji), Sunitha and Palivela Ravi Anantha Kumar criticised the budget and said that there were no funds related to SC, ST Sub-Plan, MLA and MP Grants and others in the budget, which showed revenue in the form of user charges, property taxes and other collections from the citizens, adding to their burden. They submitted a dissent note to the Mayor.
There were heated arguments between TD, YSRC and BJP corporators on the budget. BJP’s S. Lakshmi Prasanna opposed user charges in parks and their privatisation. Balaji said that people will not be able to visit parks. YSRC corporator Ch. Prasad said that collection of user charges would increase the revenue of KMC and help provide better amenities to the people.
Pundkar said that though there were 57 parks in the city, user charges will only be introduced in Vivekananda Park, Boat Club, Gandhinagar and Janmabhoomi parks.
YSRC members said that previously, one kalyana mandapam was built in the name of Kondababu by spending the corporation’s general funds and the mandapam organizers are collecting Rs.12,000 per programme with the corporation getting nothing from them. He demanded an inquiry into this.
A proposed statue of former prime minister A.B. Vajpayee also led to a heated debate.
Pundkar said the Supreme Court had said there should not be statues of any national leaders at parks.
Lakshmi Prasanna and Balaji wanted to khow he had allowed Jawaharlal Nehru’s statue at Vivekananda Park.
Earlier, the meeting condoled the death of 9th ward corporator Kampara Ramesh and observed two minutes silence.
Later, Mayor Pavani, MLA Chandrasekhara Reddy and others felicitated Pundkar for securing Sarva Survekshan award from the Centre.
