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Staggering ₹87-lakh budget planned for next Rose Festival
₹5 lakh proposed to be spent on advertising for the festival, a popular annual fair
Not long after turning to the UT administration for grants to pay salaries and carry out development works, the cash-starved municipal corporation (MC) is planning to spend a whopping ₹87 lakh on the Rose Festival scheduled in February next year.
This is 77% higher than the ₹49 lakh spent in the 2017 festival, while the subsequent editions in 2018 and this year cost ₹55 lakh and ₹70 lakh, respectively; reflecting a consistent increase in expenses on the three-day annual fair.
An agenda regarding this will be tabled for approval in Wednesday’s House meeting.
KP Singh, executive engineer of MC’s horticulture wing, which prepared the proposal, expressed ignorance over why the expenses had gone up, and said he could provide clarity only on Tuesday.
Congress councillor Satish Kainth slammed MC for the hike in expenditure. “Every year I ask MC to rope in sponsors and earn revenue rather than spending from its own pocket. But, turning a deaf ear, they keep increasing the expenses,” Kainth said.
“MC should explain what additional facilities have been introduced against the additional expenditure. It is nothing but a wasteful exercise. I will voice my concern again in the upcoming House meeting,” he added.
Mayor Rajesh Kalia, who could not be reached for comments, had earlier promised to oversee expenses of the festival.
Agreeing that the expenditure was on the higher side, councillor Maheshinder Singh Sidhu said they will discuss the proposal in the meeting and make it more rational.
EXPENSES IN LINE
MC’s proposal does not detail how exactly the money will be spent on any category of spending
₹25 lakh Water proof tentage, furniture
₹8 lakh Light and sound arrangements
₹5 lakh Decorations of entry/exit gates and garden, bouquets for VIPs
₹5 lakh Branding, advertisements
₹5 lakh Cultural evenings (tourism dept also spends money on star nights at the festival)
₹4 lakh Entry forms for competitions, invitation cards, parking passes, stationery
₹3.9 lakh Mementoes for chief guest, chairman, sub-committee members
₹3 lakh High tea for VIPs
₹3 lakh Newlyweds competition
₹2 lakh Photography competition
₹2 lakh Boarding and lodging of folk dancers
₹1.75 lakh Antakshiri competition
₹1.4 lakh On-the-spot painting competition
₹1 lakh Piano recital at inaugural ceremony
THROUGH THE ROOF
Between four editions of the festival, the expenditure has gone up by 77%
2020 ₹87 lakh
2019 ₹70 lakh
2018 ₹55 lakh
2017 ₹49 lakh
