Tripura: AMC failed to increase own income sources, BJP members resent

The CPIM ruled Agartala Municipal Corporation, Tripura on Monday evoked serious criticism and resentment from the part of elected BJP councillors for apparently failing to improve its own income generation sources. The AMC Mayor Prafullajit Sinha also faced serious resentment from the saffron fold as the present elected body could not live up to the expectations of the people living in expanded city areas.

In the budget discussion session on Monday, the BJP Councilor Ashit Ray vehemently came down on the ruling council in Tripura and alleged that the AMC could not think out of the usual course that led the AMC to run in deficit at every budget.

“Since last few years, all we have been observing a game of numbers. A huge figured budget is placed every year with a handful of promises that remain unkept at the end of the financial year” Ray pointed out.

Giving details, he said, in the financial year 2016-17 a Rs 354 crore budget was placed and at the end of the year volume of the budget remained to the tune of little more than Rs 234 crore. Similarly, in the next financial year, initially the figure stood at Rs 360 crore and actual budget remained way behind Rs 150 crore. And, as per the latest budget proposals placed this year, it was quite evident that the actual budget could not even go closer to Rs 245 crore, Ray claimed.

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Ray also slammed Dr. Prafullajit Sinha led AMC council in Tripura for failing to generate its own income sources. Ray said, in the year 2016-17 the own income of the AMC was little more than Rs 28 crore and today after 4 years the figure remained static.

“It is an ostensible failure of the AMC while other Civic bodies of the country have reached atop in achieving the self-reliant mark. The core areas should be focused and the budget should be made deficit free”, he added.

Slamming the AMC for its role during the consistent floods in Agartala city, Tripura areas in the last couple years, Ray said, “In the financial year 2016-17, 17-18 no funds were earmarked for cleaning of drainages of the city. On the other hand, as soon as the new government came to power, huge amounts of money had been released every year for modernization of the drains and the changes were in front of all. This year, no such situations prevailed as of now despite heavy rainfall in the running month”.

He also said that in the expanded areas of Agartala City the citizens were not getting adequate facilities one should get in lieu of the taxes. “The AMC is collecting taxes but they are having no street lights, no motorable roads in some parts and people are made to suffer intentionally. People will surely react through their votes in the days to come”, Ray concluded.

Congress Councilor Ratna Datta, however, in a mild tone suggested the AMC to be more sympathetic towards the frontline workers of the AMC who were fighting the battle against Covid 19 at every ward barring the political differences.

CPIM councillors, however, approved the proposals and due to their majority, the budget was passed on Monday afternoon.

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