Budget 2023-24: A tightrope walk for Chandigarh MC with ₹555 cr grant-in-aid

The Chandigarh MC’s own committed liabilities account for around ₹500 crore a year. Committed liabilities include expenses such as electricity, water, salaries, and pension of employees—expenditures that they cannot ignore. With a grant-in-aid of ₹555 cr, it would be a tightrope walk for the civic body to carry out development works

In a major setback for the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC), it has been allocated a grant-in-aid of ₹555 crore against the demand of ₹957 crore, for the financial year 2023-24.

In a major setback for the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC), it has been allocated a grant-in-aid of ₹555 crore against the demand of ₹957 crore, for the financial year 2023-24. (HT File)

Last fiscal (2022-23), the civic body had got ₹543 crore against the demand of ₹981 crore.

Unlike the previous years when the MC would release its budget estimates only to be disappointed later when the Union government presented the budget, this time, the Chandigarh civic body waited for the central budget.

The civic body’s own committed liabilities account for around ₹500 crore a year. Committed liabilities include expenses such as electricity, water, salaries, and pension of employees—expenditures that they cannot ignore. The remaining, if any, would be spent on development works of the city.

The MC handles the city’s roads, water supply, waste disposal, sewerage and various other civic works.

When contacted, MC commissioner Anindita Mitra said, “We have got an allocation of ₹555 crore and will plan works accordingly. Our development works will not suffer at all as all our projects are underway and on track.”