Status quo in IMC during Govt reign
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 28 2012: Even though the State Government was in control of Imphal Municipal Council for nearly eight months in the previous term following suspension of the said Council on ground of financial irregularities and administrative lapses, no concrete measures could be initiated to improve the situation for which the Council was dissolved.

Based on the report of Committee of Officers placed before the Government the IMC was dissolved with effect from August 9, 2010 and after a period of eight months fresh election process of the Council was undertaken on March 9, 2011 .

The said initiative resulted in the IMC elections on May 25, 2011 along with election of Ward Committee Members.

The eight-month period of suspension consequently led to the State Government overseeing official functions of the Council, said an informed source while pointing out that with the exception of some normal work no substantial change could be recorded during the interim.

Activities during the eight-month period of suspension were limited to Council workers only engaged in sweeping some road sections and cleaning the market place while the financial debt remained in the range of Rs 7.6 crores in the said period.

In its report, the Committee of Officers had cited financial irregularities and administrative lapses of the then Council as a fit case for suspension but there was no evidence to prove that concrete measures were initiated by the Government for enhancing resource mobilisation or pro-active steps taken to curb fund misuse, said the source.

Along with the suspension of the Council, the Government move also severely dented collection of taxes as Octroi check-posts ceased functioning consequently necessitating the Government to allocate monthly provision of Rs 19 lakhs for the IMC to remain in operation.

It is informed that along with the Rs 19 lakh provision and taxes collected from the vendors of Khwairamband Keithel, toll tax, IMC-owned commercial outlets and service charge related to building plan, etc the IMC at the present juncture is being run with a monthly budget of approximately Rs 26 lakhs.

Contrary to the monthly fund collection/provision, the IMC needs about Rs 38 lakhs to bear expenses for honorarium of the elected Councillors, employees' salary, office maintenance etc, which subsequently resulted in the IMC having to bear cumulative deficit of about Rs 7.6 crores.

Pointing out that it would be an arduous task for the IMC to continue functioning on deficit budget, the source also regretted that the Committee of Officers in its report failed to recommend revenue generation measures such as entrusting IMC with the task to levy/collect taxes from public toilet facilities set up at the three market complexes in Khwairamband Keithel, tax from temporary market sheds and various parking slots to name a few.

Ending on a brighter note, the source claimed that there is palpable change in the attitude of the Government to hand over more revenue generating sources taking into account performance of the present Council.

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