Badnore approved ₹132 crore for Chandigarh MC

UT administrator-cum-Punjab governor VP Singh Badnore on Saturday announced a special grant of ₹132 crore for the municipal corporation (MC) to help it complete its pending projects, including broken roads.

The announcement was made in a meeting between Badnore and mayor Raj Bala Malik, who met him with a delegation of MC councillors over the civic body’s poor fiscal situation. Among the delegation were mostly BJP councillors, as Congress councillors skipped the meeting, terming it “mere drama”.

Notably, the grant is a portion of the ₹150 crore promised by Badnore in November last year. While ₹15 crore were released back then, the remainder was pending.

Stating that the ₹132 crore will come through next week, Malik said fortunately the funds were being released before the beginning of the new fiscal. “All pending road works will be completed in the next three months. Besides, we will be able to start some basic development in villages,” she added.

MC commissioner KK Yadav said while road repair works were already underway, the tender to increase the water storage capacity will be floated in another 10 days.

FUNDS INSUFFICIENT FOR 2020

In the 2020-21 Union Budget, while MC had hoped for a ₹1,073-crore grant from the Centre, calculated on the basis of the Delhi Finance Commission’s report, it was allocated just ₹425 crore.

While this was ₹50 crore more than the ₹375-crore grant in 2019-20, Yadav said, the allocation for 2020 was not sufficient for city’s planned development.

‘NOTHING NEW’

Questioning the BJP, Congress leader of opposition Devinder Babla asked, “What’s new in Badnore’s latest announcement?”

“The fact is that despite their government at the Centre, MP in the city and mayor in the civic body, Chandigarh has been robbed of its City Beautiful tag. They have been begging every now and then, but hardly get anything in return,” he said.

BJP city chief Arun Sood said during the party’s rule, MC’s grant from the Centre had almost doubled, while there had been special grants for the UT almost every year. “It is because of Congress’ misrule in the past that MC is now reeling under severe financial crisis,” he alleged.

OTHER DEMANDS

At the meeting with the administrator, the mayor and councillors demanded strengthening of the sewerage system in villages, release of due revenue share of MC as per the Delhi Finance Commission and provision of funds for construction of more community centres.

BJP councillor Shakti Prakash Devshali asked Badnore for a special policy to convert all V-6 roads (outside houses) into cement concrete roads since these broke frequently due to seepage of water from houses. He also demanded time-bound carpeting of roads falling under UT administration’s purview.

Besides, the delegation sought that MC be allotted the space adjoining the Sector-29 Community Centre for its expansion; enhancement of sewer lines in villages transferred to MC; and removal of eucalyptus trees from the premises of government schools.