Ludhiana MC collects record revenue, launches Rs167-cr projects

Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 9

The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (MC) has made a record revenue collection of Rs 24,698.23 crore in the last fiscal 2020-21, which was highest-ever and 41.4 per cent more than Rs 17,467.02 crore earned in 2019-20, the official figures have revealed.

Transforming from being the cash-starved to the cash-rich civic body, the state’s biggest MC, both in terms of area and population, has also launched three major smart city projects worth Rs 166.94 crore, MC Commissioner Pardeep Kumar Sabharwal told The Tribune here on Monday.

On being apprised of the development, Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan, who was here to review the development projects recently, lauded the MC officials for generating a record revenue collection and launching major works to transform Ludhiana into a smart city.

Sharing details, the MC Commissioner said the civic body earned Rs 9,714.59 crore from property tax, Rs 8,104.82 crore from water and sewerage charges and Rs 6,878.82 crore from building branch in 2020-21.

While the property tax income in the last fiscal was Rs 1,289.5 crore, which accounts for 15.31 per cent, more than Rs 8,425.09 crore earned from this head in 2019-20, the collection of water and sewerage charges in 2020-21 was Rs 3,390.5 crore, accounting for a whopping 71.92 per cent, up and above Rs 4,714.32 crore generated in 2019-20.

Similarly, the MC’s income from the building branch in the last fiscal was Rs 2,551.21 crore, accounting for 58.95 per cent, more than Rs 4,327.61 crore earned from this head in 2019-20.

The year-wise revenue collection figures for the past six years showed that the civic body collected property tax of Rs 7,824.14 crore in 2018-19, Rs 7,040.7 crore in 2017-18, Rs 6,606.47 crore in 2016-17, Rs 6,944.27 crore in 2015-16 and Rs 5,294.33 crore in 2014-15.

From water and sewerage charges, the MC generated Rs 4,232.47 crore in 2018-19, Rs 3,548.59 crore in 2017-18, Rs 3,395.28 crore in 2016-17, Rs 3,602.43 crore in 2015-16 and Rs 4,038.07 crore in 2014-15.

The building branch income remained Rs 4,846.73 crore in 2018-19, Rs 3,664.43 crore in 2017-18, Rs 4,082.13 crore in 2016-17, Rs 4,459.85 crore in 2015-16 and Rs 4,781.14 crore in 2014-15.

Sabharwal said the major smart city projects launched by the MC included integrated railway overbridges and underbridges on the Pakhowal road at the Ferozepur railway road crossing at Rs 123 crore, safe city project at Rs 35.96 crore and carcass utilisation plant on the design, build, operate, maintain and transfer basis at Rs 7.98 crore.

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