The Times of India 01.08.2012
Councillor can spend Rs 1cr on ward
CHANDIGARH: Each municipal councillor
will now be able to spend up to Rs 1 crore on developmental works in
his ward. The decision was taken in the MC house meeting on Tuesday
which culminated at 9.30pm. Late in the evening, it was also resolved to
give the same financial powers to nominated councillors even as the
opposition party, BJP, termed it a "lollypop" to lure the non-elected members in a hung house.
Councillor Satish Kainth
presented ward development fund report in the house meeting. In his
report, he purposed that as the cost for material and other things had
gone up, money given for ward developmental fund should be increased
from Rs 40 lakh to Rs 1 crore per year. Initially, councillors supported
it, but when the point related for giving the same financial power to
nominated councillors was proposed, councillor Arun Sood said it's
"lollypop" by Congress councillors and UT administration will never
accept it. To this some nominated councillors -- Sat Paul Bansal and
Amrit Tewari strongly -- objected to words and said they are not kids
that Congress can allure them and they stressed that Sood takes his
words back.The report also suggested giving some more powers
to councillors in using their fund. Elected councillors can use their
fund in dispensaries and schools.
