Works listed by councillors stuck as MC yet to prepare estimates

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 24

After facing criticism for failing to spend ward development funds, the Municipal Corporation councillors have submitted requests for about 260 works. However, the development works are yet to start as the officials are still preparing estimates.

According to officials, each councillor has submitted a list of eight to ten works. The engineering wing of the corporation is evaluating them. After estimates are ready, the pending works will be started.

Most requests are for putting up or repairing swings in parks, installing or repairing lights and laying or repairing footpaths and paver blocks.

All these works are to be carried out with the ward development funds and additional Rs 1 crore announced by MC Commissioner KK Yadav for each councillor’s area.

Congress councillor Devinder Singh Babla, who is the Leader of Opposition in the MC House, said, “During a House meeting, we were told that the work would start in a month. However, it has been two to three months, but even the estimates have not been made yet, thereby delaying the work.”

BJP councillor Shakti Prakash Devshali said, “Works of same nature of all wards should not be combined and handed over to a single contractor. These works should be allotted to different contractors so that the work could go on simultaneously in all wards. Before awarding the contract, previous performance of the contractor should be evaluated.” He hoped that the works would soon start.

Mayor Rajesh Kalia said, “The works will start soon as preparation of estimates is underway. The works will be completed before the end of this financial year.”

Earlier, the councillors had got bad press for having failed to spend their development funds. Resident welfare bodies too criticised them as development works were hit.

It was reported last month that even as the year was coming to an end, most councillors have failed to utilise about 50 per cent of their funds. Four councillors have a whopping nearly Rs 1 crore unspent fund. With funds not spent, the development works in their areas have been hit.

Mayor Rajesh Kalia was the least spender with Rs 1.12 crore still in his kitty. However, the Mayor exhausted almost the entire Rs 2 crore discretionary fund. It can be used in wards other than the Mayor’s.

For the first two years (2017 and 2018), the councillors got Rs 40 lakh each to spend in their wards. However, it was doubled this year. The ward development fund gets carried forward till the end of the councillors’ five-year term.