Fund shortage to hit MC projects

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 27

The UT Administration’s decision to stop Rs 58.60-crore grant to the MC for the current financial year (2014-15) is going to affect development projects being undertaken by the civic body.

Although, MC officials claimed that they would manage the situation but sources said that projects like multi-level parking, maintenance of community centres, recarpeting of roads and construction of underpasses would be affected due to the shortage of funds. Chandigarh Tribune takes a look at these development projects and how the shortage of fund would affect these.

Multi-level parking, Sector 17

In the recent MC General House meeting, the Engineering Department of the MC had placed an agenda for installation of parking management system in the multi-level parking near Gurdev Studio in Sector 17. The MC approved a fund of Rs 69 lakh for the project. Under the project, the MC proposed to install automatic car parking system with boom barriers and ticket dispensers to regulate the vehicular movement. Sources said the fund shortage would further delay the project.

Recarpeting of internal roads at Ram Darbar

The MC had recently approved Rs 1.43 crore for the recarpeting of various internal roads in Phases I and II of Ram Darbar Colony. The work was approved under the head “Improvement of road parking places and infrastructural facilities”. Earlier, these roads were recarpeted between December 2009 and April 2010. But as the UT has stopped the MC grant, the recarpeting work is likely to be delayed.

Underpasses project

Recently, the UT Administration had transferred the construction of eight underpasses to the Municipal Corporation. The MC has already started planning on the construction of two underpasses — the ISBT-17 roundabout and the Aroma light point roundabout. The MC has also planned to spend nearly Rs 1 crore on the planning and consultation of the project, but now, the project will be delayed further.

Maintenance of community centres

The MC in its recent meeting had decided that maintenance of community centres would be outsourced to private parties. The MC had sought details from officials on each community centre, including how much money would be required for maintenance. A senior MC official said as the UT had stopped the MC Budget under plan head, the MC would now postpone the exercise for the next fiscal.