E-Paper
MCG’s 2020-21 budget: 10-fold jump in funds for environment
Gurugram:
Gurugram:
In its budget for 2020-21 fiscal, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has made a three-fold increase in the allocation of funds for operation and maintenance of sewerage and drainage lines in the city. Also, the civic body has approved a budgetary allocation of Rs 102 crore for environment-related works this financial year against Rs 10 crore last fiscal.
On Thursday, the House of MCG passed the budget unanimously during a special meeting that took place via video conference due to the Covid-19 lockdown. However, MCG commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh, additional commissioner Mahabir Prasad, mayor Madhu Azad, and deputy mayor Sunita Yadav were present at the MCG’s sector office during the meeting.
As per the budget document, a copy of which is with HT, the MCG has reserved Rs 150 crore for sewerage and drainage for 2020-21 fiscal as against Rs 50 crore last fiscal.
Under roads, garbage collection and solid waste management categories, the MCG has reserved almost double the funds this fiscal.
For roads, the civic body has more than doubled the funds from Rs 100 crore to Rs 210 crore. In the garbage collection and solid waste management (SWM) category, the MCG has reserved Rs 200 crore against Rs 111 crore last fiscal.
“We are looking to upgrade the existing roads, sewerage, and stormwater drains. Rather than building new ones, the existing infrastructure will see an uplift. Under the garbage collection and SWM category, new initiates though will be undertaken to provide more comprehensive coverage of the city,” an MCG official privy to the matter said.
On April 1, HT had reported that the MCG, in its budget, was expected to increase significantly the funds for environment-related works and water supply. In the approved budget, under the environment category, MCG has reserved Rs 102 crore this fiscal against Rs 10 crore last fiscal, while it has reserved Rs 90 crore for the water supply against Rs 30 crore last fiscal.
Most of the funds under the environment category were reserved for establishing a new recreational area using sustainable items such as the project undertaken by the MCG at the Badshahpur drain corridor. For water supply, the civic agency has tripled its funds to improve water supply network in the city.
“Each field of work was separately analysed with respect to the funds, which were spent on it last fiscal, the existing need or requirements to develop it further and subsequently funds were allocated for it. The overall aim is to ensure each sub-category of services the MCG offers is of the highest possible quality,” said Singh, the MCG commissioner.
The MCG has approved an expenditure of Rs 2,276 crore for the current financial year as against Rs 2,150 crore last fiscal. The revenue generation has been estimated at Rs 4,604 crore in the 2020-21 fiscal. Last fiscal, it was Rs 2,605 crore.
