With no word from the State Government over the reservation for posts of new Mayor and Deputy Mayor more than a week after the terms of Sunanda Palanetra and Anwar Baig respectively ended, an air of uncertainty hangs over the presentation of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) budget.
Outgoing Mayor Sunanda Palanetra pointed out that the budget will have to be presented before the end of March to facilitate payment of salaries and other expenditure of the civic body.
The budget is conventionally presented by the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Taxation, Finance and Appeals, but terms of all the Standing Panels of the MCC too have expired in conjunction with the tenure of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor. The members of the Standing Committees are elected along with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
Even though the Chief Accounts Officer (CAO) can present the budget, a meeting of the MCC council needs to be convened for the purpose and the expiry of the term of Mayor and Deputy Mayor is coming in the way of holding a meeting of the MCC.
However, Ms. Palanetra said efforts were underway to secure special permission from the State Government through Minister in charge of Mysuru district S.T. Somashekar for holding a session of the MCC Council for presentation of the budget. The MCC officials including Commissioner Lakshmikant Reddy will coordinate with the Chief Minister’s office to secure permission for holding a special meeting.
“If the Government does not grant permission to hold a special meeting for presentation of the MCC budget, a serious problem will arise from next month. No salaries can be paid to the employees and no work can be taken up by the MCC”, she said adding that the officials have no right to make any financial transactions in the civic body without presentation of the Budget.
Preparation of the MCC Budget is, however, underway. Even though the CAO will read out the Budget, Mayor, Deputy Mayor and MCC Commissioner are required to be present on the occasion.
Meanwhile, MCC officials said the Government has not yet announced the reservation for posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor of MCC. Even though a letter had been sent to the Government, there is no response. The calendar of events for Mayoral polls will be announced by the Regional Commissioner only after the State Government announces reservation for the posts.
Meanwhile, aspirants for the posts amng the members of MCC are pinning their hopes on the reservation favouring them to begin lobbying.
