| Font Size |
Phatak said that the civic administration has increased the fund so that it can be used for developmental works at the ward level. “Since the funds at the ward level are utilised more efficiently and quickly there was a demand to increase the allotment in the 2008-09 budget. There is no increase in the corporators' fund,” he said.
“The city’s population is growing and so is the need for providing civic amenities to the people. It is seen that funds from the headquarters take time to be utilised at the ward-level. Therefore, a decision has been taken to use Rs 1 crore for every 50,000 people at the ward level,” he said.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Manu Kumar Srivastava said that the budget has a head (section) devoted to “unforeseen works” which is used as corporators’ fund, with an allocation of Rs 35 lakh for each corporator. “The increase of the funds at ward level are made for specific developmental works and not under “unforeseen works.” It cannot, therefore, be counted as corporators’ fund,” he said.
He added that Rs 1 crore has to be used to ensure that the existing municipal services and facilities keep functioning and Rs 10 lakh be used for construction of balwadi, aanganwadi, gymnasium, purchasing equipments at the gym and development of gardens.
However, standing committee chairman Ravindra Waikar, who announced the hike on Thursday after finalising the budget, maintained that the increase was in corporators’ fund. “The hike of Rs 1.1 crore has to be utilised for developmental works but only at the discretion of the corporators. The assistant municipal commissioner at the ward level will be only liable to implement the suggestions made by the elected representative. No work will be carried out with this fund without the approval of corporators,” he said.
Discuss this story on expressindia forums
|
|