Belagavi city Corporation Presents a Budget with a Savings of 10 Lakhs
Belagavi: The Belagavi City Corporation has presented a budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 with a savings of 10 lakh 35 thousand rupees.
The budget was presented by Netravati Bhagwat, the chairperson of the Standing Committee on Taxation, Finance, and Appeals, during a meeting held at the Municipal Corporation today.
After the budget was presented, there was not much serious discussion about it. However, both the ruling and opposition party members spoke in a perfunctory manner and concluded the meeting within a few hours.
For the fiscal year 2025-26, the Municipal Corporation has estimated a total revenue of 441 crore 99 lakh 43 thousand rupees, while the estimated expenditure is 441 crore 89 lakh 8 thousand rupees. Thus, a savings of 10 lakh 35 thousand rupees is expected for the current fiscal year.
Several schemes have been planned for the benefit of senior citizens, backward classes, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, women, school children, and the differently-abled. Key projects include the beautification of city circles, roads, and bus stands under the Smart City initiative.
To alleviate the daily traffic congestion in the city, plans have been made to convert vacant spaces into parking lots and markets, thereby increasing the corporation’s revenue, Bhagwat stated.
Estimated Revenues:
- Property tax collected from properties within the corporation’s jurisdiction is estimated at 7808.38 lakh rupees. A special campaign will be organized to collect this tax, and property details will be registered in software to provide basic infrastructure to the public.
- Development charges and improvement charges from building permits are expected to yield 1003.00 lakh rupees.
- Revenue from debris removal is estimated at 185.00 lakh rupees.
- Sale of vacant plots owned by the corporation is expected to bring in 1050.00 lakh rupees.
- Under the SFC untied fund grant, 710.00 lakh rupees are expected, with 29% of this amount to be used for outsourcing civic workers’ salaries and hardship allowances.
- SFC electricity grant is expected to be 5200.00 lakh rupees, which will be directly paid to the electricity department.
- The 16th Finance Commission grant is expected to be 2000.00 lakh rupees.
- Revenue from cable laying charges by the HESCOM department is re-estimated at 1700.00 lakh rupees.
- Revenue from road cutting within the corporation’s jurisdiction is estimated at 275.00 lakh rupees.
- Revenue from solid waste management is estimated at 975.00 lakh rupees.
- Registration charges from immovable property registrations are expected to be 110.00 lakh rupees.
- Revenue from property transfer fees and penalties is estimated at 80.00 lakh rupees.
- The total estimated revenue is 44,199.43 lakh rupees.
Estimated Expenditures:
- Hardship allowance for corporation employees is set at 2,000 rupees per month, totaling 250.00 lakh rupees, and a daily meal allowance of 35 rupees, totaling 150.00 lakh rupees, will be borne by the corporation.
- 2932.00 lakh rupees have been allocated for outsourced cleanliness expenses to keep Belagavi a clean city.
- 100.00 lakh rupees have been set aside for the salaries of directly appointed civic workers.
- 400.00 lakh rupees have been reserved for scientific solid waste management.
- 250.00 lakh rupees have been allocated for streetlight maintenance.
- 925.00 lakh rupees have been allocated for road, drainage, pedestrian, and rainwater management, as well as deepening of wells.
- 75.00 lakh rupees have been allocated for the management of street dogs within the corporation’s jurisdiction.
- 3.75 lakh rupees have been reserved for sports from the available 1% of the corporation’s income, excluding all insurance and guarantees.
- 50 lakh rupees have been allocated for the welfare fund of journalists.
- 75 lakh rupees have been allocated for cremation activities and development in cemeteries within the corporation’s jurisdiction.
- 157 lakh rupees have been reserved for drinking water supply and open well development within the corporation’s jurisdiction.
Capital Expenditures:
- 500.00 lakh rupees have been allocated for new road construction in 58 wards, 100.00 lakh rupees for CC road construction, 400.00 lakh rupees for drainage construction, 100.00 lakh rupees for the protection of vacant plots, and 50.00 lakh rupees for the beautification of city entrances, totaling 2700.00 lakh rupees for basic infrastructure in 58 wards.
- 100.00 lakh rupees have been allocated for new computerization equipment, and 25.00 lakh rupees have been reserved for e-office construction in the corporation.
- 320.00 lakh rupees have been allocated for the development of gardens within the corporation’s jurisdiction.
- 20.00 lakh rupees have been reserved for dog shelters.
- 40.00 lakh rupees have been allocated for the purchase of two new hearses.
- 600.00 lakh rupees have been allocated for the repair of internal drainage and new internal drainage construction, as well as community and public toilet construction.
- Based on the net revenue collection of 24.10%, 7.25%, and 5%, an estimated 328.19 lakh rupees will be reserved from the corporation’s grant.
- 29% of the amount released from the SFC fund will be fully utilized.
- Additionally, grants received from the central and state governments under the 15th Finance Plan, Mahatma Gandhi Urban Development Plan, Swachh Bharat Mission, Amrut Scheme, Rainwater Harvesting, Natural Disaster Management, Drinking Water Supply, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, SFC Special Grant, Gruha Bhagya Scheme, etc., will be used according to guidelines and action plans approved by competent authorities.
The budget copy was handed over to the Mayor by Standing Committee Chairperson Netravati Bhagwat, with Commissioner Shubha B in attendance.
Kannada Flag Colors on the Budget Book
In the context of the ongoing Kannada-Marathi dispute in Belagavi, the budget copy also drew everyone’s attention. Thanks to the special efforts of Commissioner Shubha B, the cover page of the budget book was prepared in the yellow and red colors of the Kannada flag, catching everyone’s eye.
