Cuttack, Feb. 29: Protests by Opposition parties over alleged irregularities prevented passage of the corporation's annual budget here today.
Members of both the Congress and the BJP alleged that budget proposals were not factual and demanded immediate revision of allocations made under various heads.
The budget was placed before the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) council earlier today. The civic authorities claimed that it had placed a surplus budget of Rs 112.61 crore.
While the total income was pegged at Rs 335.12 crore, the total expenditure was at Rs 373.78 crore with an opening balance of Rs 151.27 crore for the financial year.
"The budget proposals are not pro-people and the CMC has failed to focus on increasing its revenue generation through property, holding tax and hoarding revenue,"said Hrusikesh Pradhan, Independent councillor from ward No. 52.
BJP councillor from ward No. 48 Nirod Panda said there were severe irregularities in the draft proposals as figures of the total expenditure incurred in first nine months during 2014-15 have only been reflected.
The Congress councillors, on the other hand, alleged that they had been supplied with the draft budget proposals on February 25 and they got only three days to go through the contents.
"According to Section 137 of the Odisha Municipal Act, the councillors need to be provided with a copy of the draft budget proposals by February 1 so that they get adequate time to go through the contents," said Giribala Behera, Congress councillor of ward No. 4.
Behera said that according to rules, the corporation needed to give councillors at least 15 days to go through the contents of the budget proposals.
The Congress councillors also took a dig at the BJD for coming up with the draft budget proposals in English instead of Odia.
CMC officials said this time adequate focus had been given on collection of holding and other property tax to the tune of Rs 10 crore, Rs 1 crore from hoardings, Rs 2.87 crore from rental income from corporation properties, Rs 5.23 crore from fines and other user fees.
The corporation expects to generate Rs 251.66 crore from various grants and contribution, loan and subsidy this fiscal.
"We have decided to convene another council meeting on March 8 to pass the budget as a large number of councillors expressed their concerns with the preparation of the budget proposals," said deputy mayor Ajay Barik.
Barik said that already the officials and chairperson of various standing committees had been asked to incorporate the views and suggestions and make necessary changes in the draft budget proposals.
