At Rs 4,753 cr, a tad more in city’s kitty

Ramkrishan Upadhyay
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 1

The UT has received Rs 4,753 crore from the Centre in the Interim Budget presented by Interim Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal in Parliament today. Last year, the Administration had got Rs 4,511 crore. While the Administration has got Rs 242 crore extra this time in comparison to the last Budget, the increase of around 5.35 per cent is less than what the UT had demanded from the Centre.

This year, the UT has received Rs 401 crore under the capital head, which is Rs 104 crore less than Rs 505 crore which it got in the last Budget.

The Centre has given Rs 4,351 crore under the revenue head in comparison to Rs 4,031 crore given in the last Budget. The UT Administration had sought Rs 707 crore more from the Centre for development works. The UT had demanded Rs 5,217 crore — Rs 4,642 crore under the revenue head and Rs 575 crore under the capital head.

Major projects to be started    

• Police  housing  project   
• Home  for the  old  and destitute     
• Protection centre for  runaway  couples  
• Strengthening of rural roads    
• Modernisation and construction of new polytechnic    
• Purchase of new buses and computerisation  of CTU   
• Purchase of luxury  buses for inter-city  transport    
• Construction of link roads
• Promotion of model  solar city    
• New power transmission and distribution lines   
• Upgrade of community health centre and polyclinic

MC gets more grant-in-aid

The Budget has come as a relief for the cash-starved  Municipal Corporation. The Centre has   released  Rs 275  crore to the  civic body as grant-in-aid in comparison to Rs 269 crore in last year’s Budget. Besides, it has allocated Rs 100 crore for Smart City  projects. 

Spending on infra cut

This year, the UT has received Rs 401 cr under the capital head, which is Rs 104 cr less than Rs 505 cr which it got in the last Budget. The Centre has given Rs 4,351 cr under the revenue head in comparison to Rs 4,031 cr given in the last Budget. The funds under the capital head are for development works, while those under the revenue head largely cater to the expenditure on salaries and other recurring expenses.

Hopes belied
Funds sought
Rs 5,217 cr

The UT had sought Rs 707 cr more from the Centre for development works. The UT had demanded  Rs 5,217 cr — Rs 4,642 cr under the revenue head and Rs 575 cr under the capital head. 

LEADER SPEAK

Projects to be hit

The city has been ignored on all fronts and development projects will be halted. During the UPA regime, the government had given preference to the city, maintaining a 10% hike in the Budget each year. — Pawan Kumar Bansal, congress

Disappointing for residents 

The Budget is disappointing for residents. The BJP government has failed to fulfil the promises made five years ago. As the poll is nearing, it has again started making promises which are nothing but jumlas. — Harmohan Dhawan, AAP

One of the best ever

It’s a Budget for the people, of the people, and from a government elected by the people. This will go down as one of the best budgets in the history of independent India. It is all due to the vision of the PM. — Kirron Kher, BJP MP

Mixed response to Budget from Panchkula residents

The Budget for employees is balanced and added no tax to the income up to Rs 5 lakh was a welcome step. — SK Nayar, President Citizens Welfare Association

The BJP failed to initiate steps for the welfare of the common man during the past five years. She said nothing has been done to deal the unemployment which had increased considerably after demonetisation. — Ranjita Mehta, National Convener of Women’s Congress

On one hand, the government had laid the condition of Rs 8 lakh for reserving the seats for economically weaker sections of the general category while on the other hand, 20 per cent tax would be charged from people with a salary of Rs 8 lakh. — Yogeshwar Sharma, AAP president, Ambala Lok Sabha constituency

The Budget was an election manifesto of the BJP presented before the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. — SP Arora, president, Indian National Lok Dal (Urban)

Shramyogi Maandhan Yojana has been announced for the social security of workers in the unorganised sector. Rs 3,000 will be given as monthly pension after attaining the age of 60. Workers will have to contribute Rs 100 per month under the scheme and the government will also deposit the equal amount under the scheme benefitting 10 million workers. — Shashank Duggal, BJP Mandal president

What they say

The government has presented the Budget keeping in mind all sections of society. It reflects the far-sighted thinking of the government. Farmers, employees, working class and every section of society will get benefited from the Budget. City residents will also witness a new era of development. — Sanjay Tandon, president, Chandigarh BJP 

Cuts have been made in every section of the Budget, which means more bad days and tax for city residents. The MP has failed to bring even the money for which provision was made in the past five years. — Pradeep Chhabra, president, Chandigarh Congress 

The increase of 5.35% in the city’s Budget is hardly going to cover inflation. Chandigarh witnessed no growth and development in the past and the recent allocation has disappointed the residents. — Manish Tewari, former Union Minister of State 

Enhancing the tax rebate for individuals earning up to Rs 5 lakh will benefit a large number of people. Overall, the Budget has several new things like no income tax on notional rent. However, individuals having unoccupied second house will not be required to pay tax on such a property. — Rajiv Kathuria, a resident