Free PCs for Plus 2 toppers, Property Tax collection soars

Chennai, Mar 12 (UNI) The Chennai Corporation will provide free computers to Plus Two toppers in all the 27 Corporation Schools in the city even ast it estimated record revenues from Property Tax collection.

This was announced by Chennai Corporation Mayor M Subramaniam today while presenting a Rs 91-lakh deficit Budget.

While revenues for 2008-09 have been estimated at Rs 1,278.48 crore, the expenditure was placed at Rs 1,279.39 crore.

Due to the various steps taken the Chennai Corporation, Property Tax collection is set to clock a record Rs 280 crore for FY 2007-08, an increase of 22.96 per cent over the previous year's Rs 227.71 crore. This is further expected to increase to Rs 300 crore by 2008-09.

Announcing a considerable hike in allocations for education and health sectors for the year 2008-09 which got Rs ten crore and Rs one crore respectively, he said students securing 400 marks and above in the Standard X Board Exams would be given Rs 1,000 each and Plus Two Students scoring above 1,000 marks would be given Rs 1,000 as cash prizes.

He also announced Rs 500 as cash prizes for each student scoring centum in invidivual subjects, besides rewards of Rs 5,000, Rs 3,000 and Rs 2,000 each for headmaster and headmistress of Corporation schools for securing first three places in the Standard X and Plus Two Examinations, Rs 500 to teachers of subjects in which the students scored centum, Rs 1,000 to headmaster/headmistress of schools in which students secured 90 per cent pass percentage and Rs 500 to teachers of subjects in which students secured above 95 per cent.

Mr Subramaniam said educational tours would be arranged for the first 25 students who have passed the Standard X.

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