PONDA: In a special meeting held at the council hall, the Ponda Municipal Council on Thursday, passed a deficit budget of Rs 15.39 crore, for the financial year 2010-2011.
Projecting income of crores of rupees, the PMC chairperson, Mr Shailendra Shinkre said that the PMC is more dependent on the octroi money, licence fees, construction licence fees, revenue from advertisements, income from market, interest on PMC funds and others.
In terms of expenditure, the PMC has focused on garbage disposal site, the waste treatment plant and salaries of the staff, as they have to shell out more due to the implementation of the sixth pay scale.
The meeting called for passing the budget turned out to be quite controversial with the former chairperson and present councilor, Ms Radhika Nayak alleging that the chairperson concluded the crucial budgetary meeting "in just five minutes," termed it as an illegal. However, the chairperson stated that "she reached late, after the meeting was over.’’
Aftermath, Ms Nayak along with four other councillors dashed a letter to the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) to disqualify the chairperson stating that he had violated the Section 97 of the Goa Municipal Act, 1968.
"He made mockery of the Act and adopting undemocratic norms attracts disqualification,’’ she said in the letter submitted to the DMA, the copies of which have been dispatched to the chief officer, Ponda MLA and Home minister, Mr Ravi Naik, and Leader of the Opposition, Mr Manohar Parrikar.
She has also pointed out that the budget prepared by the chief officer was "never presented before the standing committee. I purposely took leave and tried to be present for the budget meeting but these councillors passed it without any discussion on it."
However, interestingly, the chairperson has different story to tell. "I will write to the DMA informing how two councillors - Mr Sanjay Naik and Ms Nayak forcefully signed the register despite it was informed to them that the meeting was over,’’ he alleged.
He also said that Ms Nayak was absent for four consecutive meetings and therefore would file an application for her disqualification.
According to Ms Nayak, councillors, Ms Vandana Jog, Ms Rukmi Dangui, Mr Dinkar Mundye, Mr Sanjay Manu Naik have signed the letter forwarded to the DMA.
"The budgetary provision of Rs 38 lakhs has been made for sopo collection, however, it was auctioned for Rs 49.40 lakh. The council has to take another approval for it or else it has got no right to collect the extra amount. This is how it happens when budget is passed haphazardly," Ms Nayak said.
Commenting on the allegation, Mr Shinkre said that "there is a provision for the chairperson to present the budget before the council if the standing committee fails to do its duty. Incidently, the chairman of the standing committee is the chairperson, Mr Shinkre and two councilors of which one has signed the letter seeking his disqualification.
