Amid fund crunch, Chandigarh MC to start road repair in ‘priority’ areas

Amid financial crunch and after nearly a year-long halt, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) is set to begin road recarpeting works in the city but only in priority-based areas by spending amounts from property tax collections.

Municipal commissioner Amit Kumar has directed officialsto identify pothole-ridden roads or those most in need of repairs and prepare a priority list based on field inspections. “Directions have been given to officials to identify roads requiring recarpeting on priority. A proper list will be made, and only after inspection, the work will start,” said Kumar.

The civic body, responsible for maintaining over 2,000 km of roads—including V3, V4, V5, V6 roads, parking lots, and lanes in sectors, rehabilitation colonies, and villages—is currently facing a financial crunch due to a lack of resources. While paperwork for major roadworks was completed months ago, tenders are yet to be opened due to the funding shortfall.

The road recarpeting work has remained suspended since May 2024. Traditionally, the work is carried out during March-April and October-November—months considered ideal due to favourable weather conditions. With no work done in the last cycle, officials fear missing another critical window if the funds are not secured soon.

HT had highlighted the deteriorating state of city roads, with nearly 400 km requiring urgent repairs—most of them being V3 roads that divide sectors.

A senior MC official said, “We will soon start the work by recarpeting the dividing road of Sector 44-45. The first quarter of the financial year usually brings some relief as property tax collections begin, and the money will be used for essential road repairs. Though we are left with no money to initiate developmental works from UT’s regular grant-in-aid, we plan to spend from property tax collection so that the recarpeting season is not wasted for repairing crucial roads.”

Last month, in a bid to manage the financial crisis, the MC had proposed transferring 262 km of V3 roads under its jurisdiction to the UT administration for maintenance. However, the proposal was rejected in the House, despite support from BJP councillors and mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla. Municipal commissioner Amit Kumar had also backed the idea, noting that the roads could be reclaimed once the MC’s financial position improves.

Chandigarh mayor seeks share of RLA revenue for road upkeep

City mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla on Friday met chief secretary Rajeev Verma and sought a dedicated share of revenue from the Registration and Licensing Authority (RLA) to maintain city roads, and a separate grant to support the maintenance of 22 villages brought under the MC’s jurisdiction.

The MC currently maintains approximately 2,000 km of roads, accounting for nearly 60% of the city’s total road network. However, despite its crucial role, the corporation does not receive any specific portion of the ₹350 crore annual revenue generated by the RLA through vehicle registrations and transfers.

In her proposal, Babla has urged that at least 50% of this revenue be allocated to the corporation under Section 90(6)(b) of the Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, as extended to Chandigarh by the Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension to Chandigarh) Act, 1994. This legal provision empowers the administration to transfer a share of taxes collected under the Punjab Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1924, to the corporation for maintaining roads, pavements, and public parking facilities.

In addition to urban infrastructure, the mayor highlighted the financial challenges in maintaining the 22 villages that have recently come under the corporation’s care. These areas, previously managed by panchayat samitis, used to receive annual maintenance grants, which have since been discontinued. She appealed for a similar financial support to continue the maintenance of essential services like roads, drainage systems, water supply, sewerage systems, and public parks.