Panchkula MC approves ₹119-crore budget

All agendas were cleared in one go at the general House meeting of the Panchkula municipal corporation (MC) held on Wednesday.

In another meeting, which was chaired by mayor Kulbhushan Goyal, ₹119-crore annual budget was approved by the House.

The newly elected mayor said, “21 agendas were already listed and have been approved. Three more agendas were added and subsequently given a nod.”

The proposed expenditure for 2021-22 is ₹115.65 crore, he added.

Making the city clean and green, repairing all public rest rooms and deciding on whether to hand over the responsibility of maintenance of public toilets to market associations or not were among the top agendas.

It has been decided to make Panchkula stray animal-free by March 31, besides provision of large dustbins across the markets and removal of encroachments with immediate effect.

The MC has passed an agenda regarding maintenance and repair of community centres and installing signs and guide maps in all sectors.

The agenda to invite tenders for solid waste management plant has also been passed.

Strengthening the bus services, beautification of choes and setting up food streets near them, replacing streetlights with LEDs, and making Panchkula plastic and pollution-free were some of the other agendas approved.

Agenda pertaining to a sub-fire station in Sector 20 has been approved as well. Nod has been given to agenda regarding the need of CCTV cameras and security gates at the border Panchkula shares with Punjab.

Agendas pertaining to withdrawal of paid parking in sectors 8, 9, and 10 from Red Cross and approval to single slip of ₹10 for all parkings were placed by Sonia Sood.

“All these agendas have also been approved,” the mayor said.

Congress councillor from ward number 18, Sandeep Sohi, said, “The mayor should have taken the opinion of all councillors before tabling the agenda in the House. We were not consulted. Also, a copy of the budget was not provided earlier.”

Usha Rani councillor from ward number 7, questioned, “What was the purpose of a House meeting when they didn’t listen to the demands of other councillors. We gave one application seeking repair of roads in Rajeev Colony, but we were asked to come tomorrow. Why should we visit tomorrow when the meeting was scheduled for today?”