The Times of India 11.12.2010
TNN(10chb.txt)No immediate relief for CHB
CHANDIGARH: There is no immediate solution in sight for the financial woes of Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) as the Centre has reportedly rejected UT administration's demand for an additional budget allocation of Rs 300 crore for the pending projects, especially the slum rehabilitation programme in Chandigarh.
While no additional budget allocation is expected under the plan head, UT is expected to get around Rs 380 crore in the non-plan budget, which would be primarily utilized for giving grant-in-aids to Panjab University and other institutions. A formal communication on the issue, however, is expected to be received from the centre next week.
In a meeting with the working group of Planning Commission in New Delhi on July 29, UT had sought an additional budget for developmental works in the city. Under the plan head, Rs 450 crore were sought and an additional Rs 300 crore under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for the slum rehabilitation programme, which so far is being funded from the receipts of the Prideasia IT Habitat project.
The revised budget was formally presented for both plan and non-plan expenditures to the government of India in New Delhi on November 12. As part of the additional budget of over Rs 1,000 crore to be sought from the government, UT administration has asked for nearly Rs 158 crore for the pending projects of Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB).
In February, the city had got Rs 450 crore for plan and Rs 1,466 crore for its non-plan expenditures in 2010-2011, of which Rs 77.9 crore is being spent on construction of roads, flyovers and road safety. Under the revised estimate in 2009-10, UT got Rs 449 crore in plan and Rs 1,849 under non-plan budget.
There has been a substantial increase in the budget for science, technology and environment as it goes up to Rs 27 crore from Rs 13.9 crore last year. The expenditure on information technology alone has shot up from Rs 4.9 crore to Rs 8 crore. Besides, the spending on energy has also been hiked from Rs 11.7 crore to Rs 25 crore for this financial year in the plan budget estimate.
