New Delhi, Feb 8 (PTI) The MCD on Thursday approved a total budget proposal of Rs 16,683 crore for the 2024-25 fiscal with provisions to bear salary expenses of teachers to the tune of Rs 1,500 crore by the Delhi government and rent out its school playgrounds to increase revenue.
The civic body has envisaged a provision of Rs 15 crore in the budget for the upkeep of ‘Gaushalas’ (cow shelters) along with a focus on maintenance of roads and garbage management in the city.
Lauding the budget, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that it fulfils the aspirations of all quarters of the society and urged for people’s support in making the city “clean and beautiful”.
“The budget, which fulfils the aspirations of employees, businessmen and all Delhiites including the cleanliness of the city, was passed in the MCD House today. I congratulate all the people of Delhi for this wonderful budget. The people of Delhi had given us the responsibility of working in MCD also, fulfilling it with full honesty, we are working hard day and night. Together we have to make Delhi a clean and beautiful city,” Kejriwal wrote on platform X.
Mayor Shelly Oberoi passed the budget estimates for 2023-24 and 2024-25 amid ruckus in the House which was adjourned within five minutes of commencement of the session.
The civic body has allocated Rs 1,000 crore for the maintenance of roads through a contractual agreement for a period of 10 years.
The corporation will use AI to identify damages repair of roads and carry out mechanical cleaning of roads.
The MCD will also utilise AI to identify unauthorised/ illegal parking in the city and develop a mechanism to check real-time space availability on parking sites and do bookings through a mobile app.
The civic body has allocated a budget of Rs 400 crore for garbage management that will help in flattening the three mountains of garbage in the city — a poll promise of the Kejriwal government which was made in 2022 ahead of the civic body polls.
The budget also enabled a diversion of Rs 500 crore from expenses kept for different developmental works to Mayor’s discretionary funds.
This amount has been diverted from funds that remained unused in the previous fiscal, Leader of the House Mukesh Goel clarified to reporters in a press conference after the House meeting.
While addressing the media, Goel said that the budget allocations which remained unspent were reviewed and shifted under the mayor’s discretionary funds.
“Mayor’s discretionary fund of Rs 500 crore will be used for better developments of Municipal wards as per the ward level requirement and better monitoring of the works. This fund is useful to address on-the-spot requirements as per public demand,” he added.
The diversion of the fund was a major point of contestation for the councillors of the opposition parties who tried to stall the House proceedings demanding the withdrawal of the amendments which proposed this transfer of funds.
The civic body claimed there was no change in total income and total expenditure that was proposed by MCD Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
A total income of Rs 15,686 crore and expenditure of Rs 16,683 crore was approved by the House for the 2024-25 fiscal.
Meanwhile, the opposition BJP has submitted a memorandum to the office of Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, demanding action against the “illegal” passage of the civic body’s 2024-25 budget by the ruling AAP.
A delegation of Delhi BJP composed of opposition leader Raja Iqbal Singh along with councillors Shikha Ray and Yogesh Varma submitted a memorandum to the LG’s office.
The BJP opposed the move calling it a “unlawful” and a “blatant attack on democracy” alleging that the ruling party passed the proposals to increase the financial powers of the Mayor.
“Mayor Shelly Oberoi passed a proposal in the House increasing her financial power from Rs 10 crore to Rs 500 crore without holding any discussion,” a statement by the party said.
The opposition leader claimed no municipality in the country grants the mayor such power by withdrawing funds kept for developmental works including allocation kept for standing committee, ward committees and health and education.
“In a democracy, no individual is given absolute power, yet today, within the assembly, the Mayor behaved as if they didn’t feel the need to discuss with the opposition and passed the budget without any discussion, which we oppose,” councillor Shikha Ray said.
Councillors Yogesh Varma said that the party has lodged a complaint with the Lieutenant Governor office and expect an action on the matter will be taken soon. PTI SJJ SJJ NB NB
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