MCD Budget allocation hiked by Rs 1,000 cr

The Delhi government has decided to hike the Budget allocation for Municipal Corporations by Rs 1,000 crore, Delhi Finance Minister Manish Sisodia announced on Monday.

“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, also the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, told the Delhi Assembly. The MCDs, however, said that the Delhi Budget is disappointing for the three civic bodies.

Taking a dig at the BJP-controlled civic bodies, Sisodia 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 the financial year 2016-17 but had not allocated a single rupee for the BJP-ruled MCDs. The Deputy CM had slammed Modi government, saying that 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 had said.

It may be noted that cash-strapped MCDs has always been a bone of contention between the Centre and the Delhi government. The Delhi government always maintains that it releases more funds to the city’s three cash-strapped civic bodies. 

The government also appeals to the Centre, LG Najeeb Jung and other government agencies to ensure release of more fund for the agencies as they are not able to pay salaries and manage day-to-day expenses. It alleges that an attempt is being made to vitiate an atmosphere that the government is not cooperating with the MCDs deliberately by not releasing funds to the civic bodies following which strikes are taking place.