Mayor discusses civic body finances with Chandigarh chief secy, seeks assitance

Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla met UT Chief Secretary Rajiv Verma to apprise him of the financial health of the Municipal Corporation (MC) and the challenges being faced in delivering essential civic services to the residents.

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During the meeting, Babla expressed serious concerns about the financial condition of the MC, highlighting that despite providing numerous essential services to the people, the MC was not generating any direct revenue from these services.

The Mayor pointed out that the civic body was responsible for maintaining the basic infrastructure and civic amenities in the city, which include, repair and maintenance of streetlights across all sectors and roads; sanitation services, including door-to-door garbage collection and cleanliness drives; stray animal management amog others.

She stressed upon the substantial expenditure that, saying that the MC was not generating revenue, which has placed a significant financial burden on it.

A key issue raised by the Mayor was the non-deposit of service tax by the Engineering Department on commercial and residential buildings.

She informed that the service tax amounting to Rs 16.35 crore on commercial buildings and Rs 65.78 lakh on residential buildings remained unpaid.

Another important concern raised by Mayor was regarding the reduction in cow cess imposed on liquor by the Excise and Taxation Department in 2023-24.

The Mayor also urged the Chief Secretary to support the civic body secure additional funds from the Union Government as well as UT Administration and to expedite pending financial allocations from the administration.

Verma assured the Mayor that her concerns would be taken up with the relevant departments on priority.

Marks Maha Shivratri

Babla, meanwhile, marked the auspicious festival of Maha Shivratri, joining devotees at various religious events across the city. She participated in special poojas, bhandaras, and community gatherings.

“Maha Shivratri is a time for devotion, reflection, and service. It brings people together in the spirit of faith and community. I feel blessed to celebrate this sacred festival with the people of Chandigarh and pray for peace, prosperity, and harmony for all,” she said.