The AMC standing committee had proposed a budget of Rs 6,990 crore, comprising revenue expenditure of Rs 3,500 crore, and capital expenditure of Rs 3,490 crore
A one-time settlement (OTS) scheme for outstanding property tax, allocation of funds for development of religious structures at Sabarmati Riverfront, and a cricket stadium in East Ahmedabad are among the proposals by opposition Congress in the 2018-19 budget of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).
Addressing media-persons, Dinesh Sharma, leader of opposition in AMC, proposed additional development works of Rs 151 crore, and revised budget size of Rs 7,150 crore. The AMC standing committee had proposed a budget of Rs 6,990 crore, comprising revenue expenditure of Rs 3,500 crore, and capital expenditure of Rs 3,490 crore.
"Our amendments to the budget are aimed at improving lives of people of Ahmedabad by providing them better facilities. We hope the ruling party will incorporate our recommendations in people's interest," he said. He proposed an allocation of Rs 20 crore for development of 50 religious structures, including 40 temples, on both sides of Sabarmati Riverfront. He also proposed a policy to regularise such structures. The Opposition leader recommended allocation of Rs 20 crore for constructing a cricket stadium in East Ahmedabad with a seating capacity of 50,000.
While noting that outstanding property tax figure stood at Rs 1,200 crore, Sharma proposed a one-time settlement scheme to recover dues in cases which are 5 to 10 years old.
Setting up 100 libraries in AMC gardens with an allocation of Rs 10 crore, construction of 10 foot overbridge with escalator on busy roads with a cost of Rs 15 crore, changes in slum redevlopment and housing policy, construction of one working women's hostel in each of the six zones of Ahmedabad city, and lowering of penal interest on outstanding property tax dues from 18% to 7%, were some of the other recommendations made by Sharma.
Sharma proposed a uniform policy for construction of road dividers and bumps in the city, which is at missing at present. He criticised the AMC for failure to provide round-the-clock water supply and pressed for a Master Plan keeping in mind the city's water requirements of 2025.
Hours after Dinesh Sharma's press conference, a controversy erupted with former leader of opposition in AMC Badruddin Sheikh questioning mention of only Hindu temples in the list of religious structures for whose development funds were allocated.
"The amendment mentions 50 religious structures, but names only 37 temples on both sides of Sabarmati Riverfront. The Baba Lavlavi Masjid in Behrampura, and Nasirbag Masjid in Shahibaug are 600 years old. The Congress party believes in secularism, and this is a very serious matter," Sheikh said in a statement.
It is my demand that religious structures, irrespective of the faith, be included in the list, Sheikh added.
Row over naming temples, ignoring mosques
Hours after Dinesh Sharma’s press conference, a controversy erupted with former leader of opposition in AMC Badruddin Sheikh questioning mention of only Hindu temples in the list of religious structures for whose development funds were allocated.
“The amendment mentions 50 religious structures, but names only 37 temples on both sides of Sabarmati Riverfront. The Baba Lavlavi Masjid in Behrampura, and Nasirbag Masjid in Shahibaug are 600 years old. The Congress party believes in secularism, and this is a very serious matter,” Sheikh said in a statement.
It is my demand that religious structures, irrespective of the faith, be included in the list, Sheikh added.
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