Road repairs, garbage management key focus

Prioritising road development and repairs, garbage management and mosquito control, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sayeed Khokon yesterday announced a Tk 2,085.36 crore budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year.

In his maiden budget speech at Nagar Bhaban, he said to have depended more on government and foreign funded projects as revenue income was very poor.

The mayor, who came to office in May, said, apart from the spending from revenue income, Tk 463 crore has been kept under different projects for road repairs and development and to purchase equipment.

He said DSCC had distributed for free an environment friendly bag in some wards to collect garbage in a systemic way and the outcome would determine whether it would be provided to all residents under DSCC.

Moreover, DSCC is thinking of shifting larger garbage containers from the major roads to lanes to reduce traffic congestion, he added.

On mosquito control, he said equipment worth Tk 1.50 crore would be purchased.

DSCC aims to spend Tk 16.35 crore on developing recreation facilities like playgrounds and parks while Tk 54.25 crore for environment development, including tree plantation, beautification and public toilets.

Sayeed said utility service providers have been asked to provide their plans in advance. "We will take steps so that the same road is not dug up again and again," he said.

DSCC also targets to earn Tk 285 crore from holding tax. It realised Tk 77.08 crore in 2014-2015 fiscal year though the target was Tk 63.55 crore.

The mayor, however, said they have no plan to increase holding tax this fiscal year. Instead they will speed up their collection method, he said.

The DSCC earned Tk 394.33 crore in revenues in the last fiscal year, he said.

According to the budget, Tk 27 crore also will come from the government's block allocation and Tk 300 crore from special allocation.