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Chandigarh MC to earmark ₹8 crore for development in wards
The decision was taken after the issue was raised by councillors in the last meeting of the Finance and Contract Committee
Under pressure from its councillors, the municipal corporation (MC) has decided to release around ₹8 crore for carrying out specific development works that were earlier stopped due to a paucity of funds.
The decision was taken after the issue was raised by councillors in the last meeting of the Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) of the MC where they complained that no development work was being carried out in their wards.
Confirming the development, MC commissioner KK Yadav said, “In the wake of the last F&CC meeting, the MC has decided to allow for ₹30-lakh development works in all the wards. The funds will be released only for pre-approved works.”
Priority list
To ensure that funds are utilised only for selected projects, the MC has asked the councillors to submit a list of works that have to be carried out in their wards. “The councillors will be providing the MC with a priority list,” said Yadav.
The civic body is facing an acute fund shortage due to a fall in revenue generation during the pandemic. There has also been a cut in the grant-in-aid it receives from the Chandigarh administration because of the expenditure restrictions imposed by the central government.
Struggling to pay for its stipulated revenue expenditure like salaries, the MC had decided to cease all capital expenditure including all approved development works.
Yadav insisted that the MC would be able to earmark around ₹8 crore for the development works in councillors’ wards.
So far, the MC has received the priority lists from less than four councilors. “After receiving the list from all, we will compile a composite list and thereafter, work will start in all the wards,” said an MC official.
The works listed by the councillors so far include laying of paver blocks, improvements in parks, new stormwater system, and works in EWS colonies falling in their wards. Meanwhile, there are several projects that are still awaiting the approval of the UT administration.
As per a list prepared by the MC, the incomplete works range from construction of community centres, booth markets and underground escalators to road works, underground parking, transfer of properties, bus stops, cleaning of seasonal rivulets, sewage system, green belt, creation of primary health centres, etc. Many of these works are pending for several years now, in some cases for the entire elapsed period of the current MC House.
