Chandigarh proposes budget of Rs 1,349.13 cr for 2020-21

Of the proposed budget of Rs 1349.13 crore, capital expenditure is proposed to be Rs 436.65 crore while revenue expenditure is proposed to be Rs 912.48 crore. Capital expenditure is the amount incurred on various development works of the city while revenue expenditure is incurred mostly on salaries and other committed liabilities.

In its own receipts, civic body is depending on the administration to give grant-in-aid of Rs 1,073 crore of which they are expecting UT to give Rs 413.05 crore in capital head and Rs 659.95 crore in revenue head while it has counted its own receipts of Rs 302.14 crore.

Municipal Corporation Commissioner K K Yadav said that this time they have proposed Rs 100 crore for road recarpeting works in the city and Rs 55 crore for “critical roads”. He said that Rs 27 crore has proposed for the villages and Rs 23 crore for the EWS colonies.

In the draft budget, it has been proposed that Rs 33.20 crore will be spent on purchasing new vehicles and machinery. Officials said that they wanted more vehicles for the sanitation staff. The MC has proposed Rs 23 crore in the ward development fund, fire and emergency services have been allocated Rs 6.90 crore. For solid waste management, Rs 50 crore have been allocated and Rs 15 crore have been proposed for horticulture works. Rs 18 crore funds have been allocated for other civic works and further under Swacch Bharat Mission Rs 75 crore have been proposed. For sehaj safai kendras, Rs 20 crore have been proposed.

In the corporation’s own receipts, it could realise only Rs 61.96 crore from April 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019 in the category of water tariff and sewerage cess. Now with the hike in water tariff and sewerage cess, the civic body is expecting a revenue of Rs 150 crore. Under property tax head, it has projected receipts of Rs 50 crore approximately.

Congress councillors have already termed the proposed budget “unrealistic”.

“When they know that Centre doesn’t give them funds as per the grant-in-aid they demand, why do they even make this unrealistic budget. Those areas which require maximum attention have been ignored and funds are being proposed more for vehicles and other areas which should not be much of a priority. The fire safety department needs proper vehicles,” said Congress councillor Satish Kainth.