SDMC budget allocates Rs 650 crore for sanitation
Also Read: India Sanitation Summit 2015 on6 Feb, New Delhi
NEW DELHI: South Delhi Municipal Corporation on Tuesday allocated Rs 647.77 crore for sanitation under ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ in its budget for the fiscal 2015-16. Municipal commissioner, Manish Gupta, proposed a hike in property tax and introduction of professional tax, but both were rejected by the deliberative wing.
Going ahead with the Modi mantra — Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan — the corporation has increased the sanitation budget from 14% to 17% for 2015-16. The best ward in each zone will be awarded Rs 50 lakh for its development.
This time councilors have also been given an additional Rs 35 lakh for sanitation work in unauthorized colonies, much higher than the budgetary allocations for public health (Rs 222.87 crore), community services (Rs 144.94 crore) and general administration (Rs 619.83 crore). Only the education and engineering departments have received a bigger share than the sanitation department.
While the South civic body will be spending Rs 700 crore on education, it has fixed Rs 673 crore for engineering works. The South civic body even revised the budget for sanitation in the current fiscal by Rs 100 crore.
The North and East Delhi Municipal Corporations too are likely to focus on sanitation in their budget presentations on Wednesday and Thursday. SDMC Commissioner Manish Gupta Manish Gupta proposed a new account head of Rs 10 crore for various works under the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’.
To ensure that the sanitation-related works are not hampered due to delay in getting finance from the Delhi government, the South civic body also allocated Rs 70 crore for meeting its expenditure. Gupta said, “SDMC will ensure there is no shortage of fund for purchasing sanitation related equipment. The machinery for door to door garbage collection will be strengthened and heavy duty machines like compact size excavators and de-silting machines, bulldozer and loaders will be procured.”
Apart from some immediate steps like involving private entities and resident welfare associations (RWAs), the South civic body has also proposed long-term measures for solid waste management in the city.
The opposition claimed that many old projects were presented in the budget again, including the 100-bed hospital at Kalkaji, technical laboratory at RK Puram, Subhash Nagar and Rajouri Garden, underground parking and construction of Lajpat Nagar Colony hospital.
(Wednesday, 19 November 2014 – 2:17pm IST | Team Iamin.in)
