GHAZIABAD: The Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (GMC) board has passed a proposal to increase the annual allocation for each ward to Rs 1 crore. The amount will be used to carry out development work and would be disbursed in two equal instalments.
The annual quota for 2019-20 and 2020-21 was between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 40 lakh for each ward and before that the amount used to be Rs 1 crore.
“The issue was discussed at the board meeting on Tuesday and many councillors demanded that the annual allocation be increased to Rs 2 crore. After much deliberation, it was decided that the quota will be increased to Rs 1 crore,” said councillor Himanshu Mittal.
He added that in 2018-19, the annual quota for each of the 100 wards under GMC was Rs 1 crore.
“Before the pandemic hit, the allocation used to be Rs 1 crore for each ward. But GMC’s income has reduced due to the pandemic as a result of which, the allocation had to be reduced in 2019-20 and 2020-21. The amount varied between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 40 lakh,” he added.
An official, however, said the amount is subject to GMC’s earnings. “It is true that Rs 1 crore has been set aside for each ward but it is provisional and will depend on GMC’s income,” he added.
Each councillor receives a sanctioned amount every year to carry out road work, drain repair and water supply work. “A councillor prepares an estimate of the amount needed for carrying out development work in his/her area and a proposal is sent to the municipal commissioner and the chief engineer of GMC. It is then scrutinised by officials and depending on money available with the civic body, a work is issued,” an official said.
On Tuesday, the GMC board passed a provisional budget in which the estimated income for this financial year has been pegged at Rs 1,197 crore. The proposed expenditure is Rs 946 crore.
Hospital land
The civic body has set aside 5,800 sqm land in Indirapuram’s Makanpur to build a government hospital. “A government hospital in the trans-Hindon area was a long-standing demand. Now, GMC has given 5,800 sqm land in Makanpur for the facility,” said councillor Rajendra Tyagi.
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