KMC coffer replenished after e-auction of scrap materials

Kolkata: In a bid to ward off vector-borne diseases, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has e-auctioned scrap items in its condemned store yard and, in turn, has witnessed an influx of revenue of over Rs 61 lakh at a time when it is reeling under a severe revenue deficit.

The civic body has, for the year 2023-24, presented a Rs 146 crore deficit budget. Although KMC has been able to close the deficit gap compared to its previous financial years, it is desperately trying to explore every option to fill its coffers. Amid this, KMC is also taking several measures to ward off vector-borne diseases. Hence, it decided to dispose of a considerable volume of scrap in its condemned store yard.

It is learnt that the treasury of the civic body has witnessed a fresh inflow of Rs 61,65,473 from e-auction. These scraps were kept segregated into four different lots under categories: unserviceable ferrous scrap, unserviceable electrical items, and unserviceable vehicle batteries. For the fixation of the reserve price for the three categories, current market rates were taken into consideration, which were provided by MSTC, the e-commerce company under the Government of India. However, scrap items were sold for three slots instead of four.

An official remarked that not only did this bring a considerable amount of revenue to the KMC coffers but also helped ward off the threat of vector-borne diseases. “These scraps were of considerable volume, and had they not been disposed of at the right time, they would have drawn mosquitoes during the monsoon,” he said.

KMC sources said recent efforts to bring in revenues have been a mixture of success and failure. “The decision to hike parking fees was one such example. It, however, had to be withdrawn following instructions from the Chief Minister since it was perceived as a burden on the taxpayers,” the source added.