Governor denies special grant to Chandigarh civic body, urges cost-cutting

In a gathering chaired by Kataria, convened specifically to sermon the civic body’s fiscal woes, sources said helium refused the petition and alternatively asked the Corporation to chopped expenses and summation its ain revenue.

Urging them to amended their fiscal health, Kataria suggested enhancing autarkic gross streams, contempt Mayor Kuldeep Kumar’s plea for the transportation of the RLA section to the corporation.

Sources said Chandigarh Adviser Rajeev Verma besides questioned the MC’s spending, peculiarly wherefore funds were being utilized for contractual unit portion regular posts remained vacant.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Mayor Kuldeep Kumar said, “We were hopeful erstwhile the gathering was convened. We thought they would assistance america something. But the Administrator refused and alternatively advised america to chopped costs and summation revenue.”

He added, “They suggested we cod Rs 500 crore successful spot tax. I explained that astir of the outstanding dues are from authorities departments. Panjab University owes Rs 66 crore, portion PGI owes america Rs 41 crore. Together, these 2 departments beryllium Rs 100 crore.”

The Mayor besides noted that the Administrator rejected the request for power of the RLA department, saying, “The departments fixed to america are each nary profit, nary nonaccomplishment departments. When we asked for RLA, they refused.”

Kuldeep Kumar further alleged, “The medication is intentionally delaying decisions to enactment erstwhile the caller Mayor, perchance from the BJP, takes office.”

During the meeting, the Administrator asked the caller Chandigarh Municipal Corporation Commissioner, Amit Kumar, to make a elaborate program to summation revenue, whether by recovering pending dues oregon introducing caller policies.

What the figures say

The Mayor stated that the civic assemblage had spent Rs 493 crore by September 30 this year. Of this, Rs 145 crore was spent connected regular unit salaries and Rs 147 crore connected wages for contractual employees. However, lone Rs 59 crore was spent connected improvement works successful the archetypal six months of the fiscal year.

On October 22, wrong minutes of convening a peculiar House meeting, Mayor Kuldeep Kumar decided to suspend it. The meeting, meant to sermon the fiscal crisis, ended without a due discussion.

The BJP criticised the AAP Mayor for wasting clip and suggested the gathering costs should beryllium recovered from him, accusing him of mismanagement and deficiency of transparency.