Rs31.6 billion KMC budget approved
KARACHI: Details of an over Rs31.629bn budget of the Karachi Municipal Corporation for the year 2012-13, showing a surplus of over Rs99m, with no new taxes, were shared by KMC administrator Mohammad Hussain Syed with the media here on Thursday.
Speaking at a press briefing, after approving the budget, in the Civic Centre auditorium, he said the KMC would get over Rs31.629bn from different sources and it would spend over Rs31.529bn under different heads leaving a surplus balance of Rs99m with the civic body during the year 2012-13.
Responding to a question, he agreed that many KMC departments had not achieved the recovery targets set under the previous budget. But despite repeated queries, he neither gave names of the departments which had not achieved the targets nor did he mention the amount that could not be collected. He only said that that was a challenging year, but if next year the targets were not met, action would be taken.
In his speech, he said at least three new departments — vehicle department, foreign relations department, and land record department — would be established to improve the working of the KMC this year. An SMS service was also being introduced to update Karachiites on weather, traffic position, etc.
Receipts breakup
Giving a breakup of the KMC receipts, he said Rs12.8 billion would be grants/ releases from the government; Rs4.9bn from the revenue departments (recovery, local taxes, etc); Rs3bn from district annual development plan; Rs2.1bn from master plan; Rs1.98bn from dues against the Karachi Electric Supply Company; Rs1.6bn municipal utility charges, veterinary etc; Rs1.1bn from engineering; Rs1bn from transport and communications; Rs1bn from the Sindh Building Control Authority; Rs999m from enterprise and investment promotion; Rs694m from finance and accounts; Rs99m from recreation, culture and sports; Rs74m from medical services; Rs25m from parks and horticulture; Rs18m from municipal services and Rs0.8m from information technology.
Expenditures
Giving a breakup of the expenditures, he said Rs9.1bn would be spent on engineering; Rs3.9bn on medical and health services; Rs3bn on the district ADP; Rs2.7bn on education; Rs2.1bn on municipal services; Rs1.4bn on debt servicing, pension etc; Rs1.6bn on transport and communications; Rs1.44bn on the Karachi Mass Transit Cell; Rs1.37bn were funds for DMCs; Rs1bn would be spent on parks and horticulture; Rs876m on the revenue department (recovery, local taxes etc); Rs680m on information technology; Rs670m on the secretariat (administrator, metropolitan commissioner, council, vehicles, municipal utility charges, veterinary and HRM, media management etc); Rs584m on recreation, culture and sports; Rs344m on finance and accounts; Rs195m on master plan; Rs66m on law; Rs36m on enterprise and investment promotion; and Rs11.9m on literacy, etc.
Development schemes
Giving details of the annual development programme, the KMC chief said Rs850 million would be spent on circular railways; Rs777m on construction / improvements of roads, bridges, footpaths, roundabouts etc; Rs750m on Shahabuddin Market and Parking Plaza; Rs625m on Korangi; Rs522m on Gulistan-i-Jauhar; Rs520m on North Karachi; Rs500m on joint venture projects; Rs500m on BRTS buses; Rs500m on graveyards, including those belonging to the minorities; Rs500m on heavy machinery; Rs496m on culture and tourism; Rs423m on parks; Rs506m on schools; Rs400m on roads; Rs440m on the wireless video and surveillance system; Rs388m on Surjani Town; Rs388m on hospitals and equipment; Rs350m on roads, bridges; Rs348m on the Karachi Medical and Dental College; Rs318m on Clifton; Rs281m on pedestrian bridges; Rs250m on the Orangi and Landhi cottage industrial areas; Rs250m on solid waste; Rs372m on equipment and fire vehicles; Rs150m on Mirza Adam Khan Road; Rs300m on underground parking plazas at ST 2, Block 7 in Clifton, and at Civic Centre; Rs150m on storm drains; Rs100m on Fayzee Rahamin auditorium; Rs100m on parks; Rs40m on the establishment of an English model school, Rs35m on Zulfikarabad Oil Terminal; Rs30m on a city complaint and information centre; Rs30m on purchase of animals and birds for Safari Park; Rs30m on development of Safari Park, etc.
He said the Baradari car park, having a capacity for over 600 vehicles, had been completed and the park and the Baradari had been restored, and a musical foundation would be set up there.
He said Shahrah-i-Quaideen was being improved at a cost of Rs315m. He said 36 new spray vehicles had been purchased to prevent spread of mosquitoes. He said Rs120m would be spent on the improvement of medical and educational facilities in Lyari.
He said three emergency response centres — at Nagin Chowrangi; Jail Chowrangi and NIPA — had been set up while 10 others were being set up. He said eight fire tenders had been purchased which would be received next month. He said 200 public toilets, having 800 units, would be built this year.
He said two parks had been named after Mehdi Hassan, whose mausoleum was also being built, and Moeen Akhtar while two other parks were being developed and would be named after two other artistes. Three other parks, one in Parsi Colony and two in Clifton, were being developed.
Transport
He said to meet the shortage of public transport, a study sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency about the Karachi Circular Railway had been completed and work on the project was expected to begin by September 2013.
He said Jinnah Bridge was being built near the airport. He said four flyovers — at Ayesha Manzil, Water Pump, Dakkhana and Teen Hatti — would be built to make a signal-free corridor from Sohrab Goth to Guru Mandir.
He said various animals and birds were being procured for the Karachi Zoological Gardens — where the Mughal gardens and 140-year-old fountain had been restored — and Safari Park.
He said seats in the Karachi Medical and Dental College had been increased from 100 to 350 while a 200-bed hospital of the Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases was nearing completion. CT Angio, the first such health-related machine in Sindh, had been installed there.
He said that with around Rs1bn assistance from the Sindh government, the KMC would build an underpass near the Mehran Hotel and two flyovers at Shaheen Complex and Nazimabad Chowrangi No 1 would be constructed this year.
SMS facility
He said the KMC was introducing a short text messaging service, Rising Karachi, through which registered people would be updated on weather, rain emergencies, dengue virus, hospitals, dispensaries, situation of offal lifting during Eid, children immunisation, traffic jams and alternative routes, etc. A hockey stadium would be constructed at the Kashmir Road Sports Complex. A model graveyard, from where online burial could be witnessed, would also be developed.
A new category of plots had been created that would be sold at subsidised rates to set up libraries, orphanages, mortuaries, old-age houses, treatment centres for drug addicts, etc. A hostel for handicapped people visiting the city would also be constructed. The KMC’s real estate record would be computerised. And the use of a semiautomatic plant in the slaughter house would be ensured, the KMC chief said.
Rs25m had been allocated for the citizen community boards. He said every year allocations under that head were not fully utilised, but this year more awareness would be created to attract community participation.
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