With the Punjab local bodies department not allocating fund to the Mohali municipal corporation for maintenance of parks, and the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) already having refused, the civic body is in a fix as it is going through a huge financial crunch.
On Thursday, the local bodies department approved Rs 127-crore budget against the proposed Rs 268 crore for 2020-21, but did not allocate any funds for the maintenance of 540 parks in the city.
The nationwide lockdown amid the Covid-19 pandemic has further aggravated the MC’s woes as economic activities, which could generate funds for the civic body, that has now has suffered a loss of Rs 13 crore, have come to a standstill.
As per an agreement in 2017, GMADA was to pay Rs 5 crore to the MC every year for the maintenance of parks and the total amount fixed was Rs 50 crore. But, in the last three years, GMADA has only paid Rs 9 crore .
A senior officer of MC, on the condition of anonymity, said, “We don’t know how to deal with the situation as we don’t have funds to maintain parks. We will take up the matter with authorities concerned again and hope it will be sorted out. Otherwise, we will be forced to give the parks back to GMADA.”
{{/usCountry}}A senior officer of MC, on the condition of anonymity, said, “We don’t know how to deal with the situation as we don’t have funds to maintain parks. We will take up the matter with authorities concerned again and hope it will be sorted out. Otherwise, we will be forced to give the parks back to GMADA.”
{{/usCountry}}GMADA PUTS ONUS ON MC
On the other hand, a senior GMADA official said, “In 2017, it was decided that besides taking over 540 parks, the MC will take over all parks in Sectors 76 to 80. But, they have not procured the public properties so far. In such a case, why should we pay the money? As far as other maintenance works are concerned, the civic body carries them out independently. Amid the issue, we are reviewing the agreement signed with the MC.”
RWAs IN ANGUISH
Strong resentment prevails among the members of all 65 residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) of Mohali against the MC. CL Garg, president of the Confederation of Greater Mohali RWAs, the apex body of 65 RWAs, said, “We have been paying gardeners out of our own pocket for the past three months. Now, the MC has assured they will clear our dues,” he said.
The civic body pays the RWAs Rs 2.45 per square metre per month for the maintenance of around 56 acre park land, which comes to around Rs 6 lakh per month. MC makes the payment by seventh of each month.