Chittagong Bureau :The last budget of the 5-yr tenure of Chittagong City Mayor M Manzoor Alam was announced by the City Mayor at City Corporation Auditorium yesterday morning. This is the 5th budget of present Mayor and city assumed charge as Mayor in 2010 with landslide victory against the former Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury . City Mayor announced the budget for Tk.1195.91 cr for fiscal 2014-15 and revised budget of Tk.498.35 cr for 2013-14. In the proposed budget revenue income targeted Tk.305 cr, revenue expenditure shown Tk.205 cr and development budget of Tk.150 cr. Budget allocation for removing water-logging from the city was proposed Tk.20 cr which is Tk.5 cr more than the previous fiscal. In the budget total revenue income proposed Tk.437.95 cr including arrear holding taxes and other taxes of Tk.229.32cr. Mentionable that in last fiscal budget total revenue income was Tk.400.53 cr and revised budget placed for Tk.239.34 cr relates to taxes income. The tax income realized only Tk.76.50 cr. Among others, Chief executive officer, Chief Revenue Officer and all councilors, panel mayors , women reserved councilors were present in budget session yesterday. While asked about the mitigation of the waterlogging in the city by the newsmen by only Tk.20 cr , city Mayor replied that Govt has not yet allocated any additional fund for water-logging as the CCC is running with financial crisis. He said during the tenure of last 4 years, he did not get any additional fund for waterlogging mitigation. He further disclosed that the master plan of the city of 1995 yet to be implemented at concerned levels. The newsmen asked the city mayor about his prime election pledge of mitigation of water-logging in the city, he blamed govt for non-cooperation to him regarding fund allocation. There is no planning in the budget to mitigate the waterlogging. While asked he said the dredging of Karnaphululi yet to be implemented, on the other hand about 500 feets river beds filled with earth by encrossing by the illegal occupants and how the drainage of rain water is possible. He said a master plan for the water-logging isessential for removing waterlogging in the city.
