In the Delhi Budget 2016-17 announced on Monday, the Delhi Government hiked the Budget allocation for municipal corporations by Rs 1,000 crore. Finance Minister Manish Sisodia said that the allocation has been increased from Rs 5,999 crore last year Rs 6,919 crore this year.
The MCDs, however, termed the Delhi Budget as disappointing for the three civic bodies.
“The Budget allocation for the Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCDs) was Rs 5,908 crore last year. It was later increased to Rs 5,999 crore. This year we have decided to increase it to Rs 6,919 crore,” Sisodia told the Delhi assembly.
Taking a dig at the BJP-controlled civic bodies, he also asked them to utilise the money properly. “I hope the MCD will utilise this money to pay the salaries of its employees on time. This is public money and the MCD should not waste it by indulging in corrupt activities,” he said.
Notably, the BJP Government in Centre, in its Budget earlier, had allotted only Rs 758 crore to Delhi for financial year 2016-17 but had not allocated a single rupee for the BJP-ruled MCDs. The Deputy CM had slammed Modi Government, saying the Union Budget has even neglected the interests of its own child.
“The NDA Government has not earmarked any funds to Delhi Municipal Corporations although the civic bodies had requested for allocation of at least Rs 1,000 crore as basic and performance grants,” Sisodia said.
Reacting over the Budget, the three Corporations said that neglecting recommendations of Fourth Finance Commission is an injustice to civic bodies. The agencies said that despite huge increase in tax collection and enhanced budget of Rs 46,600 crore. The agencies claimed that Government has not spared any additional amount for civic amenities. The city Government is making false claims about releasing Rs 5908 crore during 2015-16 whereas only Rs 4,289 crore were released. The MCDs gets
hike of just 0.4 per cent in
their allocation against around 10 per cent hike in Budget of city Government over last year’s Budget.
The leader of House in the SDMC Ashish Sood described the Budget as disappointing as far as the three MCDs are concerned. “The Government has not cared to give any hike in the allocation for the civic bodies whereas it is making hallow claim of allocating Rs 1,000 crore more than the last year’s allocation. It has again rejected the recommendations of the IVth Finance Commission while finalising the Budget proposals. Had the Government taken into consideration the recommendations the MCDs would have been allocated an amount of more than Rs 8,500 crore.”