MCG to spend 20% budget on essential services, Covid expenses

MCG officials said the order allows them to spend ₹400 crore on maintaining essential services as well as Covid-19 related issues, such as the maintenance of relief centres, providing food and ration to the public, and sanitisation of public spaces.

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) will spend 20% of its 2020-21 budget for maintaining essential services and coronavirus (Covid-19) related issues, officials said on Sunday.

Municipal Corporation Gurugram (MCG) workers spray disinfectant in the Nirvana Country Sector-50 premises which has been identified as a containment zone to curb the spread of coronavirus, at Golf Course Extension road, in Gurugram, India, on April 11, 2020. (Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)

An order in this regard was issued by the directorate of Urban Local Bodies (ULB). The MCG’s allocated budget expenditure for this fiscal is around ₹2,000 crore.

MCG officials said the order allows them to spend ₹400 crore on maintaining essential services as well as Covid-19 related issues, such as the maintenance of relief centres, providing food and ration to the public, and sanitisation of public spaces.

On April 1, as per the protocol, the MCG had sent its draft budget to the ULB for approval. “The ULB’s permission for 20% budget expenditure to the MCG was granted to ensure there is no hindrance in regard to the functioning of essential services such as sanitation, water supply, sewerage, and streetlights, due to shortage in funds.

“Although all essential services are well under control with the existing funds; the additional grant serves as security,” said Vinay Pratap Singh, commissioner, MCG.

“The sanction for incurring 20% of budget estimate for emergent and mandatory expenditure in public interest for FY (financial year) 2020-21 is accorded by the government,” the letter sent by the ULB to the municipal commissioners of the five districts stated.

The ULB also asked the municipal commissioner of Ambala, Karnal, Hisar, Panchkula, and Sonepat to send their budget estimates for 2020-21 on a priority.