Panchkula MC sits on development funds

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

panchkula, May 16

While the Panchkula Municipal Commissioner was at the receiving end of the Punjab and Haryana High Court recently, the Panchkula Municipal Corporation has spent only 33 per cent of the approved Budget in the last three financial years 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17.

It was submitted by the Panchkula MC in its affidavit at the Punjab and Haryana High Court yesterday.

As per affidavit, the approved Budget for the financial year 2014-15 was Rs 38.67 crore, but the MC spent only Rs 16.78 crore on development projects in Panchkula, which came to 43.39 per cent.

The MC’s performance in terms of utilising the Budget in the financial year 2015-16 was even worst. The Budget of Rs 44 crore was approved for the financial year, but the MC spent only 16.95 per cent Budget which is Rs 7.46 crore.

In the last financial year 2016-17, the MC spent only 40.88 per cent of the total approved Budget. As per record, submitted in the High Court, the Budget of Rs 48.80 crore was approved, but the MC spent only Rs 19.95 crore during 2016-17.

With the poor utilisation of Budget in the recent years, the condition of roads, sanitation, stray dog menace, in Panchkula has gone from bad to worse.

Besides, Kalka and Pinjore, which were included in the MC limits, remained poorly managed due to shortage of sanitation workers. Heaps of garbage can be easily seen in Kalka and Pinjore. The drive through the road in Sector 16 is a bumpy one and is prone to accident. In the recent past many accidents have occurred on this stretch.

Mayor’s kin interfere in MC functioning

"The interference by family members of the Mayor has damaged the functioning of the MC. Officials want to start projects for the city, but they always fear that the Mayor and her family members may land them in trouble." —Gian Chand Gupta, MLA, Panchkula 

Officials function poorly

"The Mayor and councillors’ job is to approve the fund for the development of the city. It is the responsibility of the officials to execute the work. As the officials have not been able to carry out work in the city, the Budget remains unutilised." — Upinder Kaur Ahluwalia, Mayor, Panchkula