As the recommendations of 14th Finance Commission are scheduled to come into effect from April 1, Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has indicated at pressing for a grant of at least Rs100 crore for various projects from the Central Government. The figure has been derived from projects executed with the help of funds granted under the 13th Finance Commission and divided under different subheads related to city’s beautification and improvement of basic facilities for Ranchiites. The capital has over two dozens of small and medium sized water bodies besides several parks and roads to maintain.
“We have asked (authorities) to demand at leastRs100-crore from the 14th Finance Commission. The reason behind the figure is that we have executed projects equivalent to the amount demanded under next Finance Commission,” said Deputy Mayor, Sanjeev Vijaywargiya. Notably, the municipal body is facing the daunting task of keeping the city clean, prevent water bodies from shrinking, maintaining the beauty of over a dozen parks, keeping streets properly illuminated besides maintaining other types of civic amenities.
“We will run short of money if we concentrate only on ponds so we can’t do with small funds. Therefore we recommended increasing the demand so that we can stay at the level fixed in last finance commission,” maintained the Deputy Mayor. The funds granted under the provisions of various finance commission is usually used on projects at the discretion of the board of the RMC.
Incidentally, as per the RMC’s budget document of RMC for 2015-16, around Rs 24.51 lakhs of funds granted in the concluding years of the 13th Finance Commission allocations were earmarked for renovation of ITI Bus stand, construction of Jogger’s Park, Urban Hat, roads in Argora and Hatia, beautification of Distillary Pond, Highmast lED-light, crematoria at Harmu in addition to several small drains and streets. The amount demanded and expected by the RMC is a significant contribution to the kitty of the municipal body whose annual budget for the financial year 2015-16 has been estimated to be Rs848.09 against the expenditure of Rs847.59-crore.