Vijayawada Municipal Corporation approves annual Budget of Rs 1,062.35 cr

Vijayawada: The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) council on Saturday approved the annual Budget for the year 2022-23 with estimated revenue of Rs 1,062.35 crore and estimated expenditure of Rs 1,114.93 crore.

Mayor Rayana Bhagyalakshmi chaired the meeting and the ruling party has approved the Budget. The VMC has estimated the revenue income of Rs 691.05 crore, capital income of Rs 308.17 crore and other deposits and advances of Rs 63.13 crore. The total revenue is estimated at Rs 1,062.35 crore. The opening balance was Rs 99.02 crore.

The VMC's estimated expenditure is Rs 1,114.93 crore. The revenue expenditure is estimated at Rs 596.20 crore, capital expenditure at Rs 437.47 crore, loan repayments Rs 18.11 crore, deposits and advances estimated at Rs 63.13 crore. The closing balance is estimated at Rs 46.44 crore.

Presenting the Budget, Mayor Rayana Bhagyalakshmi said Vijayawada ranked third in the country in Swachh Survekshana among the cities with more than 10 lakh population.

She said the VMC is trying to get the first rank in the country in sanitisation and hygiene. She said the VMC is developing infrastructure facilities and has been trying to ensure supply of potable drinking water to all denizens in the city. The main opposition TDP has protested in the council against imposing user charges on garbage collection.

The TDP and the CPM have been opposing the imposition of user charges on garbage collection in the city. The Opposition TDP staged protest in the council on the issue. The TDP corporators have strongly condemned the collection of user charges and alleged the budget had neglected the welfare of weaker sections and the Minorities.

The following expenses were estimated by the VMC in the Budget for 2022-23. Officers salaries Rs 121 crore, staff salaries Rs 97.22 crore, gratuity and arrears Rs 60 lakh, contract labour wages Rs 105 crore, repairs of vehicles and dumber bins Rs 5.90 crore, travelling allowances of the staff and officials Rs 10.50 crore, electricity charges for water supply, street lighting and VMC offices Rs 48 lakh, maintenance of sewage treatment plants Rs 4.50 crore, maintenance of buildings Rs 12.08 crore, maintenance of garbage dumping yards Rs 6.80 crore, maintenance of nurseries Rs 20 lakh, maintenance of BT roads Rs.15 crore and maintenance of swimming pools Rs 85 lakh.