A first: 3rd month into new FY, MCC to present budget

Mysuru: For the first time in the history of Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), the budget will be presented in June – two months after the end of the last financial year. This is because of the cascading effect of a nine-month delay in electing the chairperson to the standing committee on taxation, finance and appeals.An official from the accounts department at MCC told TOI that preparation for the budget had commenced soon after the model code of conduct was relaxed in mid-May, following conclusion of the assembly elections in the state.Mayor Shivakumar confirmed to TOI that a budget meeting has been scheduled for June 5 and the budget will be presented by MD Nagaraj, a JD(S) member who is also the chairman of the standing committee on finance. In response to a query, the mayor said the delay in presenting this year’s budget was owing to multiple factors, though he assured that the delay had not had any adverse impact on any of the emergency civic works.Usually, the budget is presented in March, but for the last three years, it had been presented in April-May. MCC had held public meetings in January to draw suggestions from the public, though in the absence of the standing committee chairman, the budget could not be presented.Squarely blaming the mayor, Ayub Khan, former mayor and a Congress member at MCC, alleged that it was the mayor’s attitude that led to the delay.Ayub also claimed that differences between the BJP and JD(S) members on multiple counts and various issues of misgovernance also contributed to the two-month delay in presenting the budget.