The Times of India             12.02.2014

Civic budget to be tabled next week

PUNE: The civic budget will be tabled before the elected members during the general body meeting next week.

The civic administration's budget was presented in second week of last month. The draft budget of Rs 3,608.02 crore for 2014-15 financial year has been sent to the standing committee, which is making changes in it. The standing committee had given all the rights to make the changes in the budget, to the committee chairman.

"The budget will now come up for the discussion before the general body on February 18 ," said a senior official of Pune municipal corporation, while speaking to reporters.

Heated discussions are expected on the budget as a group of elected members in PMC has been demanding equal distribution of funds among all the wards.

A group of corporators claimed that some wards have got less funds compared to the other wards. "A panel system is in place in the city. One panel has two wards namely A and B and the funds for both should be equal, they say. It is not the case in recently presented budget so the standing committee should do proper distribution of the funds," the group had stated.

The corporators said that development works in their wards may be hampered if funds are not provided for them. They demanded that all corporators should get equal amount of money to carry out the works.

Replying to the demands, the civic officials had said that the funds have been allotted as per demands of the corporators and specific projects that he or she has suggested in their ward.