No new projects, budget fails to meet expectations

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation's first budget, presented by its commissioner Manish Gupta, focused on hiking taxes and parking fees but failed to come up with enough new initiatives.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation's (SDMC) first budget, presented by its commissioner Manish Gupta, focused on hiking taxes and parking fees but failed to come up with enough new initiatives.

HT Image

A lot of expectations were riding on the richest corporation, but on Friday, its budget proposals failed to address civic issues of a proper drainage plan and new parking facilities. While increasing the provisions for sanitation to Rs. 25 crore, Gupta failed to mention the areas where the money will be spent. Post-trifurcation, SDMC got the plushest of colonies and markets of south Delhi and a few from west Delhi. All A and B category colonies, such as Vasant Vihar,

Defence Colony and New Friends Colony, fall in its jurisdiction. Its markets such as South Extension, Green Park and Greater Kailash, Saket and Rajouri Garden are where Delhi loves to shop.

And though its infrastructure is considered much better in comparison to the rest of the city, the budget was expected to better the residents' lives further. Catering to 72 lakh citizens in 14.25 lakh homes, SDMC's 532-sq-km area is distributed among six zones for better administration. It has nearly 70 parkings for nearly 10,000 cars.

After trifurcation, the corporation has been using the Civic Centre as its headquarters, but plans to build its own in Dwarka. The corporation also has one of the most active Resident Welfare Associations under its ambit, helping it getting more development work done in their areas.