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KARACHI, June 28: Two more town municipal administrations — Orangi and SITE towns — on Wednesday announced their budgets for the fiscal 2006-07.
Orangi Town’s balanced budget for the ensuing financial year amounted to Rs470 million with a total development outlay of Rs301.95 million which comes to 64 per cent of its total volume of the budget.
Unfolding the details of the budget at a news briefing, Orangi Town Nazim Abdul Haq said that although the town gets a meager amount under the head of property tax owing to the tax exemption allowed to the houses of up to 120sq-yards, the town had levied no tax in the budget as majority of residents of the town belonged to the poor and low-income groups.
The town has estimated its revenue receipts for the next fiscal 2006-07 at Rs470 million, including Rs300 million matching grant in lieu of octroi tax from the provincial government, Rs24.5 million as its share of property tax from the city government, Rs2.5 million under the head of conservancy charges, Rs6 million as its rural and octroi share from the city government, Rs80 million special grant from the Sindh government (outstanding dues) and town's own revenue receipts stood at Rs57 million.
Giving details of the budget, Mr Haq said that every union council of the town would get Rs8 million for roads and footpaths and more than Rs20 million had been earmarked for the construction of new link roads in the town.
MAJOR ALLOCATIONS: Rs40 million have been allocated for the privatisation of garbage lifting work, Rs104m for uplift works in all the UCs of the town, Rs34.23 million for building works/town nazim funds, Rs7 million for street lights, Rs13.38 million for development of parks and playgrounds and Rs5.53 for the procurement of vehicles, machinery etc., Rs3.5 million for completing the ongoing project of sport complex and nursery.
Announcing a special allowance for the employees of the town administration, he said that they would also be provided with medical facilities.
SITE TOWN: A budget of Rs471.78 million for SITE Town for the fiscal 2006-07 was announced by the Town Nazim Izharuddin Ahmed Khan at a news conference.
Highlighting the salient features of the budget, he said that the town’s anticipated income during the next financial year had been estimated at Rs471.789 million against its total expenditure of Rs470.52 million, indicating a surplus of Rs1.269 million.
Giving details of the town’s major receipts, he said these included Rs180 million under the head of matching grant in lieu of octroi tax from the Sindh government, Rs180 million from the city government as its share from property tax, Rs1.72 million from other sources.
MAJOR ALLOCATIONS: The town nazim said that Rs0.975 million had been earmarked for cleaning of storm-water drains and sewer manholes, Rs8.299 million for repair and carpeting of roads, streets and footpaths, Rs2.6 million for the repair of the town’s major thoroughfares, Rs12.917 million for the town’s main and sub offices, Rs10.1 million for repair and provision of street lights at the town’s main building, roads and streets and Rs7.85 million for development of parks, playgrounds and nurseries.
Terming encroachment as one of the biggest problems of the town, he said that the menace of encroachments had already been removed from major roads such as Manghopir Road and the drive would continue till the removal of encroachments from the entire town.
