Thiruvananthapuram: The City Corporation Council on Friday approved the annual budget for the year 2007-08, amid a silent protest by the Opposition UDF demanding withdrawal of certain remarks against the Oommen Chandy Government in the budget speech.

The budget estimates an increase of Rs.14 crore in the property tax revenue over the last year's estimate.

The Corporation had netted Rs.17 crore as property tax last year, against a budget estimate of Rs.18 crore. This year however the figure has been pegged at Rs.32 crore.

UDF members demanded an explanation from the Deputy Mayor on the escalated budget estimate for property tax revenue. UDF leaders Veli Varghese and Beemapally Rasheed said the budgeted increase in revenue was indicative of an undeclared tax hike. Refuting the charge, Deputy Mayor V. Jayaprakash explained that the revenue estimate was fixed in anticipation of better tax collection and improved assessment of buildings following computerisation of the Corporation office. "We also hope to bring all the buildings into the tax net," he said. Yielding to members' pleas, Mr. Jayaprakash announced a 10-fold increase in the budget estimate for cable TV licence fees. Kowdiar ward councillor A. Sunilkumar stressed the need to tax cable TV providers who were gearing up for a booming market ahead. Conceding the demand, the budget estimate was scaled up to Rs.50 lakh from Rs.5 lakh. The budget fixed the advertisement tax revenue at Rs.50 lakh, registering a sharp drop of 50 per cent from last year. This follows a dismal collection of 25 per cent of the budget estimate of Rs.1 crore for the last year. Similarly, licence fees for lodges yielded Rs.2 lakh over the expected collection of Rs.5 lakh. Towards the end of the debate, UDF members agreed to a unanimous approval of the budget proposals if certain remarks withdrawn from the speech.

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