KMC presents deficit budget of Rs 170.66 cr

Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation's Chairman, Board of Administrators Firhad Hakim on Tuesday placed a deficit budget of Rs 170.66 crore for the financial year 2020-21. The estimated income during the ongoing fiscal is pegged at Rs 4127.71 crore while the expenditure is estimated at Rs 4298.37 crore.

"We are ready to go for elections whenever the state Election Commission decides to conduct the same. The state government was in favour of holding the civic body polls in the month of April, however, the Election Commission postponed the dates amidst the COVID-19 pandemic situation," said Hakim.

The highest estimated expenditure for fiscal 2019-20 has been earmarked for solid waste management in which the KMC is expected to spend Rs 60625.10 lakh. KMC is estimated to spend Rs 40812.00 lakh in water supply, Rs 16,347 lakh in health services, Rs 32,507 lakh in roadways.

"The health sector has been given a big thrust considering the Covid situation in the state. The health workers have been working hard since the outbreak in March. 100 of our workers have been affected and some of them have died," said Hakim.

KMC has developed three places for the disposal of bodies of COVID victims — at Dhapa, Nimtala and the third one at Birjunala in Rajabagan. Covid victims under Howrah as well as Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation are also being disposed of by KMC. "With three separate places for performing the last rites of Covid victims, the bodies are being disposed of on a day-to-day basis and no disposal is pending till date," said Hakim.

The KMC had placed an interim budget from April till September in February.