MCG: Three-day budget meet called off, emergency session likely on March 27

A shorter meeting likely on March 27 to discuss the matter, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the city mayor said Saturday

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has called off its plan to hold a three-day meeting to discuss the 2020-21 budget, with a shorter meeting likely on March 27 to discuss the matter, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the city mayor said Saturday.

The MCG sets an annual budget of around ₹2,000 crore each fiscal, the highest in Haryana (HT File)

MCG officials said that the logistics for the meeting are being worked upon and only essential officials and councillors will be called in. The site of the building will be properly sanitised and disinfected prior to the meet.

Earlier, the MCG had planned the budget discussions for March 27-29, along the lines of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, for discussing each category and subcategory of the budget in comprehensive detail. Officials said that it would have been the first time that a public body budget meeting would have taken place in Haryana for more than a day.

Mayor Madhu Azad said that after six cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the city, the decision was taken to change the plans to a short emergency session next week. “After discussing with senior MCG officials, it was jointly decided that a three-day budget meeting cannot take place amid this crisis and the gathering has to be minimal for as short a duration as possible. By Tuesday, we will have finalised a date for the meeting. It is likely to be scheduled for March 27,” said Azad.

“Along with the mayor we will have a discussion on deciding the date of the meeting in the next two to three days, after which will send a communication to all officials and councillors concerned regarding the date and venue,” said Mahabir Parsad, additional commissioner, MCG.

Azad said that once the date of the meeting is decided, councillors will be asked to give their suggestion and feedback on the upcoming budget via email so that the same can be taken up for discussion.

The MCG’s budget meeting is likely to take place at either John Hall in Civil Lines or the MCG’s Sector 34 office.

MCG commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh on Saturday passed an order, directing all joint commissioners, medical officers and sanitation workers to wear masks and gloves at work. Further, the order directed all officials to ensure that basic municipal services, such as sanitation, water, sewage, streetlights are maintained uninterrupted through the coronavirus crisis, and also to be prepared for a lockdown of the city.

The MCG sets an annual budget of around ₹2,000 crore each fiscal, the highest in Haryana, and officials had said that the upcoming budget would concentrate on streamlining effective property tax revenue generation, adjusting outstanding property taxes with other public bodies in return for gaining funds and increased allocation of funds for sanitation-related issues.