Belt up for bumpy rides in Chandigarh as road repairs unlikely amid MC’s fund crunch

City’s roads continue to crumble as the municipal corporation (MC) grapples with a debilitating financial crunch, leaving essential road carpeting work at a standstill for the second consecutive season after no repairs last year.

Civic body officials report that nearly 400 kilometres of roads urgently need repairs, but despite completing paperwork for major roadwork, tenders remain unopened due to lack of funds.

The situation has worsened since October last year, when road repairs were similarly delayed by budget constraints. Large stretches of roads, particularly in Sector 9 to 30, Sectors 45 to 47, and dividing roads between Sectors 19/20, Sectors 40/41 and Sector 44/45, apart from those in Industrial Area, are in a state of disrepair.

Residents and industrialists from these localities have been voicing frustrations as potholes and uneven surfaces make daily commutes a struggle.

“In March last year, we carpeted 126 kilometres of roads at a cost of ₹12.43 crore, but payments to contractors were delayed due to financial difficulties. In October, we prepared estimates to carpet 267 kilometres for ₹60 crore, but no work could be carried out. Now, about 400 kilometres of roads require carpeting, but we are unable to proceed until funds are released,” said an MC official from the building and roads (B&R) wing.

Weather in March-April ideal for road repairs

The civic body maintains a road network of 2,000 km throughout Chandigarh. This includes various types of roads, such as V-3 (sector dividing road), V-4 (shopping street),V-5 (sector circulation road), V-6 (access roads to houses), and parking lots in various sectors, rehabilitation colonies and villages.

Road carpeting is typically carried out in the October-November and March-April periods, as these months provide the ideal weather conditions for the process.

Excessive heat in summer, and moisture in monsoon and winter affect the quality and durability of the work. With no work done in the last carpeting cycle in 2024 amid the fiscal crunch, officials said if funds were not arranged soon, another crucial season will be lost, further worsening road conditions.

With pothole repair work also halted, residents have been continuously lodging complaints through online portals and other channels, urging the civic body to take immediate action.

Fiscal crisis running deep

It is worth mentioning that MC has not even been able to pay salaries to its staff for February as of now.

While the corporation remains hopeful for additional funding from the UT administration, no concrete support has materialised so far. MC has been seeking an additional grant of at least ₹170 crore for months, but approval has not been granted.

During the mayoral polls on January 30, BJP president Jatinder Malhotra had announced, following Harpreet Kaur Babla’s victory, that the Centre had approved a special grant of ₹92 crore for MC. However, the civic body has yet to receive any funds.

Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on February 22 had assured that surplus funds from the FY 2024-25 budget will be transferred to MC after approval from the Union government. But any announcement or allocation of funds is not likely before March 15.

Not just salaries, MC is stretched thin in terms of meeting other financial obligations as well, including pensions, water and electricity bills, maintenance works and fuel expenses. All development projects in Chandigarh already remain stalled since May 2024 amid the civic body’s struggle to meet monthly liabilities.

All civic works, including those already approved by the finance and contract committee (F&CC) and the MC General House, have been stalled since then. This includes road carpeting, laying of paver blocks, renovation and upgrade of community centres, beautification of markets, improvements to public toilets and cremation grounds, and horticulture-related projects.