Urban News

The emphasis was on upgrade of infrastructure in the Rs 690-crore annual budget passed by the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation in the House Meet on Friday. Provisions have been made for sprucing up roads, improving water supply and further beautifying the city. The budget goes up by 4 per cent from last year’s Rs 662.5 crore.

An innovative proposal to convert all paid parking lots into electronically-operated ones got an allocation of Rs 2.15 crore. Community parking lots have also been planned.

A provision of Rs 67 crore has been made for upgrade of infrastructure. Facilities being provided in markets in different sectors, like drinking water and toilets, will be upgraded; special focus will be on the Sector-17 market. Development and maintenance of green belts and parks also finds a mention.

Rs 91 crore have been kept aside for work on better sewage disposal and storm water drainage facilities. Special provisions have been made for villages and colonies.

The MC budget also talks of promoting cycling in the city. Under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, the civic body will promote use of non-motorised vehicles.

Residents will also get two marriage halls, which means they will not have to go to the outskirts for functions like wedding ceremonies. A sport complex is also planned for Manimajra, apart from new community centres.

Rs 2.5 crore have been sanctioned for installation of global positioning system in the city, to better tackle security threats and bring in efficiency in the overall management of the city. The budget lists development of southern sectors as a priority.

The projected income of the Municipal Corporation (MC) has seen a substantial dip in the Budget that came up for discussion in the House Meet today. Against Rs 167 crore in the ongoing fiscal (2009-10), the projected income for the next fiscal is Rs 155.67 crore — an approximately seven per cent drop. Projected expenditure, though, has gone up.

In the last one year, income from most sources has not seen a rise. In 2009-10, the MC earned Rs 29.12 lakh from auctions of property owned by it, while water bills brought in an additional Rs 49.24 lakh.

The civic body earned Rs 2.51 crore from sewage cess and Rs 15 crore from property tax. For the coming fiscal, the earnings are projected to be exactly the same with no expected increase. Miscellaneous earnings, in fact, have reduced from Rs 71.18 crore in 2009-10 to Rs 59 crore in 2010-11.

Councillors, however, pointed out that with the coming up of new hotels and commercial establishments in the city, the collection of water bills should also increase.

Councillor Pardeep Chhabra said the IT Park was a Special Economic Zone. “But as non-IT ventures have been started there, the MC should look into levying property tax on them,” he stressed.

Municipal Commissioner Dr Roshan Sunkaria said the civic body had taken a decision not to auction any property.

One reason for no increase in income, it was pointed out, was that there was no enhancement in water tariff. On the other hand, as interests on MC’s fixed deposits had seen a decline, there was an overall drop in the income-generation of the municipal body.

Councillor Harjinder Kaur suggested that quarterly figures of the budget should be provided.

She also said expenditure should be evenly divided across the year. The civic body has passed a Budget of Rs 690.8 crore — Rs 409 crore under the plan head and Rs 281crore under the non-plan head. The civic body has not imposed any taxes on residents.

Sidelights
* Pardeep Chhabra mooted that the MC make a fixed deposit when a girl is born in a BPL family to help improve the sex ratio. Matter to be taken up in the coordination committee meeting with Administration.
* Mayor Anu Chatrath constituted a three-member committee which would survey the cremation and burial grounds in the city, and suggest measures for upgrade.
* The proposal of setting up a garage to wash garbage trolleys in Dadumajra was strongly opposed by area councillor Kamlesh, who said all proposals like garbage processing plant and dog pound should not be suggested for the area.
* Councillors raised questions over expenditure on maintenance of dumping ground.
* Free parking passes will now be given to families of martyrs.
* Stainless steel bus queue shelters to be built in Manimajra on BOT basis.