Chandigarh likely to get Rs 70 cr

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 25

The UT Administration is likely to get nearly Rs70 crore from the Centre for development of 13 villages, merged with the Municipal Corporation (MC) in 2019. The UT authorities had sought funds for providing amenities in the villages during a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, held in Delhi recently.

In a report tabled in the parliament during the Budget Session, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs stated that Chandigarh was allocated Rs5,138.10 crore in the Budget estimates of 2020-21, which was Rs520.13 crore less than the projected amount of Rs5,658.23 crore.

The committee was of the view that this significant shortfall would adversely affect development of the 13 villages transferred to the MC.

On the condition of infrastructure, the committee felt a sense of urgency in allocating more funds to the UT to provide drinking water, sewerage system, storm water drainage system, streetlights, roads and horticulture works in 13 villages.

The committee recommended the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to take up the matter of increasing the allocation to the UT with the Ministry of Finance at revised estimates stage.

The committee observed that there were 22 villages under the jurisdiction of the MC out of which 13 were transferred to the civic body in 2019.

The infrastructure for services like drinking water supply, sewerage system and storm water drainage system was laid in these village around 15 to 20 years ago. As these villages are in the vicinity of Chandigarh, so their population increased enormously due to which infrastructure had become inadequate.

It had been observed that sewer lines in these villages were under sized due to which sewage overflowed in streets and damaged roads.

The blockage in sewer lines also contaminated the water supply. Drinking water supply needs augmentation to bring its level at par with the urban norms. Due to increasing urbanisation in these villages the kachcha area was getting paved day by day and construction was also being done on the vacant land, which led to shortage of space for the disposal of storm water. So, storm water draining system also needs attention in these villages.

Less Budget allocation

The City Beautiful was allocated Rs5,138.10 crore in the 2020-21 Budget estimates, which was Rs520.13 crore less than the projected amount of Rs5,658.23 crore.