Chandigarh Municipal Corporation proposes Rs 1,725.19-cr Budget

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 30

The Municipal Corporation has once again proposed an “unrealistic” Budget of Rs 1,725.19 crore for the 2022-23 fiscal.

The proposal will be tabled at its General House meeting on Tuesday for approval. With minor changes, the resolution is expected to be passed and sent to the UT Administration.

The MC has projected to earn Rs616 crore from its own resources and expects Rs1109-crore grant-in-aid from the UT Administration. However, till now, the maximum grant that the MC has got is Rs502 crore for the current fiscal. The earning of the corporation in the current fiscal is Rs444.61 crore. Its main earning is from property tax and petrol pumps.

In the proposed Budget, the MC has kept Rs401.42 crore under the capital head and the remaining Rs1,323.77 cr under revenue segment.

Like previous years, it has prepared the Budget in anticipation of implementation of fourth Delhi Finance Commission, which, in its report submitted in 2014, had recommended increasing its share in the UT revenue from 17.5 per cent to 30 per cent.

All previous mayors had promised to get it implemented from the Centre, but it has remained a hollow promise till now.

The grant-in-aid of the MC increased from Rs375 crore in the 2019-20 fiscal to Rs425 crore in the 2020-21 fiscal and currently to Rs502 crore. However, it is not enough to fill its empty coffers.

Eyes Rs 616 cr from own resources

The MC plans to earn Rs616 crore from its own resources and expects Rs1109-crore grant-in-aid from the UT. However, till now, the maximum grant that the MC has got is Rs502 crore for the current fiscal. The earning of the MC in the current fiscal is Rs444.61 crore. Its main earning is from property tax and petrol pumps.

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