LMC budget to focus on development works affected by pandemic

Civic body to increase allocation for road construction to ₹180 crore from ₹160 crore, nullah construction budget to ₹8 crore from ₹5 crore while ₹15 crore will be kept to fight the pandemic and other natural disasters

LUCKNOW The Lucknow Municipal Corporation’s (LMC) budget for 2022-23 will focus on civic development works that were affected last year due to the pandemic. The civic body has decided to increase the allocation for road construction to ₹180 crore from ₹160 crore, for nullah construction to ₹8 crore from ₹5 crore while ₹15 crore will be kept to fight the pandemic and other natural disasters.

Last year, the LMC had spent ₹11 crore on fighting the pandemic and other works like construction of roads, drains, nullahs that were affected due to lockdown. (File Photo)

Last year, the LMC had spent ₹11 crore on fighting the pandemic and other works like construction of roads, drains, nullahs that were affected due to lockdown.

Additional municipal commissioner Pankaj Singh said, “The pandemic has taught us many lessons and that’s why a budget to fight the pandemic and natural disasters is kept. The budget is always prepared carefully so that all the important areas requiring attention are covered.”

To ensure proper sanitation, the allocation for construction of new dump yards has been increased to ₹3 crore from ₹2 crore, the budget to repair LMC toilets is up to ₹5 crore from ₹1 crore and ₹5 crore has been kept for nullah repairing, up from ₹1 crore last year, said officials.

However, corporator Sayyed Yawar Hussain ‘Reshu’, who is also the leader of opposition in the LMC House, said: “Last year, roads were not constructed most of the time due to pandemic, and other maintenance works were also affected. So, the budget of last year must have been carried forward. Besides, there is a need to increase allocation for of street lights, without which women in the city find it difficult to come out of their house during the night.”