Balance development budget presented by rmc commissioner

Rajkot, Jan 29 (UNI) Rajkot Municipal Commissioner (RMC) Mukesh Kumar today presented the 2007-08 budget proposals without any dose of taxation, terming it ''balance development oriented for a planned development budget presented to the standing committee''.

Addressing mediapersons here today, while presenting budget proposals, the Commissioner proposed budget of Rs 365 crore in which he focussed on Slum free Rajkot, Nirmal Rajkot, strengthening basic infrastructure and assurance for improving quality of municipal services such as water, sanitation, road etc.

He said income for Rs 115 crore would generate from Octroi (current year Rs 95 crore), property tax Rs 60 crore, grants for Rs 130 crore, capital income Rs 22 crore and other means for Rs 6.5 crore.

For the development of the city, the commmissoner proposed 100 new modern bus stops, four trafic signals, two railway under bridge at Railnagar and Bhagwatipara, state-of-art street furniture on major roads and that all would cost Rs 12 crore.

He also proposed to convert all 19 valklas (natural drains) into box gutter or pipe gutter which would cost Rs 14 crore.

He said RMC is all set to slum free Rajkot under the Javaharlal Nehru National Urban Reform Mission (JNNURM) by 2012. Under the scheme they would construct 5,000 houses for the poor every year.

Rs 181 crore has been approved under JNNURM, he said.

For the first time, 23 per cent of the revenue allocated for the poor people's project, he said, adding that generally nine to ten per cent amount of the revenue had been allocated for such project.

The RMC would also develop 'hawkers zone' under the JNNURM scheme.

He said the RMC would provide Bio-matrix I-Card for the slum dwellers to avoid duplications and fake names.

To ease traffic chaos, the RMC would introduce Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) connecting almost every area, will have passenger-friendly buses running on dedicated corridors and will provide with a convenient and much-needed transport system.

UNI