CHANDIGARH: The Finance and Contract Committee of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation at its meeting held here on Wednesday approved the budget estimates of Rs. 168.94 crores for the financial year 2006-07. These will now be deliberated by the House at its meeting on February 27.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of the Mayor, Surinder Singh, in the presence of the Municipal Commissioner, P.S. Aujla. It was attended by all the committee members including Subhash Chawla, P.C. Sanghi, Lalit Joshi and Sant Singh, Municipal Councillors.

Mr.Surinder Singh said that this was probably the most ambitious budget of the Corporation since its inception. It provides a quantum jump in the allocations on the Plan side. In the current financial year, estimates under the Plan Budget were Rs. 72.36 crores, whereas in the budget proposal for the next financial year under the Plan head a provision of Rs. 168.94 crores has been made thereby registering an increase of 133.47 per cent.

On the other hand increase in the Non-Plan budget was just a marginal 9.51 per cent with estimated provisions under the Non Plan head as Rs. 180.97 crores against last year's Rs. 165.26 crores. Another noteworthy feature of the budget proposals is that no additional levies or increase in the rates of existing levies has been proposed and the citizens have not been burdened with any additional financial liability.

The major developmental schemes which have been provided for under the plan budget for the next financial year are provision of Rs. 36.35 crores for improvement of roads, parking places and infrastructure facilities including Rs. 18.15 crores for roads/parking places in Chandigarh and Manimajra, Rs. six crores for concrete roads in few sectors of Chandigarh, Rs. 5.70 crores for improvement of infrastructure facilities in Sector 9,17,19and 22 Markets, Rs. three crores for parking place for tourist buses and Rs. 3.50 crores for pedestrian pathways around parks located on V-6 roads.

The Committee also approved to spend about Rs. 35 crores for acquisition cost of land in various villages of Chandigarh/Manimajra, Rs. 50 lakhs for marriage palaces in the city, Rs. 28.92 crores for setting up/upgradation of sewerage treatment plant and laying of additional sewerage lines and Rs. 9.46 crores for setting up of birds slaughter house/rendering plant and sanitation programmes.

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