P’kula MC passes Budget of Rs 112.92 cr for 2018-19

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, February 19

The Municipal Corporation, Panchkula, passed a Budget of Rs 112.92 crore for the financial year 2018-19 during a meeting at the Red Bishop complex, Sector 1, today.

Of Rs 112.92 crore, Rs 62 crore has been kept for development works and the rest of the amount for establishment and office expenditure. The civic body has set a revenue target of Rs 98.92 crore for the next fiscal.

The main features of the Budget will be the installation of LED street lights, foot bridges, construction of cow-cum-dog shelter, two marriage palaces and various welfare schemes for children of sanitation workers.

MC Commissioner Rajesh Jogpal said this time, they were hopeful that they would achieve the target and would complete the developmental work proposed in the Budget.

MLA slams civic body

MLA Gian Chand Gupta slammed the MC for poor revenue generation.

He targeted the MC for not mentioning about the solid waste management system in the Budget.

Gupta added that the MC should try to engage citizens and make them a part of city development and planning. Mayor Upinder Kaur Walia said it was a balanced Budget and the next fiscal year would see a lot of growth.

Poor performance in current fiscal

In the current 2017-18 fiscal session, the MC had approved Rs 102-crore Budget based on its target income of Rs 90 crore. But till December 31, the MC could only generate around Rs 23 crore as revenue.

MC officials admitted that poor performance was because of non-payment of share of the Haryana Urban Development Authorities and delay in the payment of excise and stamp duty, which forms a large part of the MC revenue. 

Main features

• Rs 10 crore for replacing LED lights with sodium-based lights. 
• Rs 5 crore for installing high-mast lights in markets and roundabouts.
• Rs 5 crore for a cow shelter-cum-dog shelter at Sukhdarshanpur village near Ramgarh.
• Rs 5 crore for escalators and footbridges in seven locations mostly on the Kalka-Shimla highway.
• Two marriage palaces at Ramgarh and Pinjore.