No transparency in SMC as corporation fails to update website since 2009
Srinagar: At a time when the government is continuously pitching for the transparency in various government departments, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has failed to update its website since the year 2009.
The website has been updated in the year 2009 and the developmental works done since 2009 are not mentioned in any section of the website.
Notably, the SMC officials seem reluctant to divulge the annual details of the corporation.
In its last update, the corporation has mentioned the annual revenue generation of the corporation from 2008-09, salary and wages paid by the Corporation to employee annually, financial assistance provided by the State Government annually and other details.
The website shows updates from the year 2004 to 2009. However, the eight years passed since 2009 find no mention anywhere on the official website.
In its last update in 2009, the corporations reveals that during the year 2008-2009 income from the internal resources is Rs. 603.01 Lac and projected income for the current year 2009-10 is Rs. 650.00 Lacs.
“There has been appreciable increase in the internal resources owing to number of steps taken by the Corporation to augment the existing resources which also includes imposition of Advertisement fee introduced first time in the year 2005-2006 which along has fetched Rs. 85.00 Lacs to the Srinagar Municipal Corporation in the year 2008-2009. Similarly, the Car Parking Fee fetched us about Rs. 24.62 Lacs alone in the year 2008-2009,” the website reads.
It further adds that the SMC is also contemplating to impose a number of user charges and taxes to the Citizens of Srinagar city but this will be possible only when better civic amenities are provided to the citizens who will gladly pay these taxes.
“But without the support of State Government it will not be possible to levy additional burden of taxes to the militancy ravaged City. There it is imperative for State Government to allocate adequate funds to ameliorate the basis civic amenities in the Srinagar City,” the website reads.
The website also revealed that there is outstanding of crores of rupees on account of rent with various departments.
However, the website failed to update whether the departments have cleared the liabilities or not.
KV Correspondent
