E-Paper
₹25-crore cut imposed in Mohali MC budget
Against Mohali MC’s proposed ₹161-crore budget for financial year 2022-23, the Punjab local bodies department has approved only ₹136 crore, while imposing a cut of ₹25 crore
Even as the Mohali Municipal Corporation (MC) had proposed a budget of ₹161 crore for financial year 2022-23, the Punjab local bodies department has approved only ₹136 crore, imposing a cut of ₹25 crore.
Even for 2021-22, the department had slashed MC’s budget by ₹31 crore. Against the proposed ₹148 crore, it had approved only ₹117 crore.
However, unlike last year, the department has this time allocated ₹7 crore for solid waste management under the Swachh Bharat Mission and ₹80 lakh for the sewerage maintenance and augmentation project, which is expected to help the MC further improve the city’s standing in the annual Swacch Survekshan.
After standing 157th in the 2020 rankings, Mohali had attained the 81st rank in 2021. In 2019, it was at the 153rd position and 109th in 2018.
Speaking on the cut, city mayor Amarjit Singh Sidhu said MC will not allow the development works to suffer despite the cut and will seek more funds from the state government as and when needed.
MC commissioner Kamal Kumar Garg said along with the municipal funds, MC will also recover around ₹20-crore development funds from the Greater Mohali area Development Authority (GMADA).
As per the budget estimates cleared by MC in March, apart from the municipal funds and GMADA dues, the civic body is eyeing ₹28 crore from property tax, ₹14 crore from advertisement fee, ₹4 crore from excise duty, ₹1.3 crore from water and sewerage bills, and ₹70 lakh from rent and tehbazaari fee as its major income sources.
