225km of UT roads in 'very poor' shape, need repairs worth ₹33 cr

MC has not got any aid from UT, it will be leaning on revenue from taxes

- Mandeep Kaur Narula

CHANDIGARH: After a year-long pause in developmental activities due to a financial crunch, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) is set to resume small-scale infrastructure works across the city, with mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla on Tuesday, directing the councilors to prepare a list of urgent pending projects worth up to ₹25 lakh each in their respective wards.

Babla called an all-party councillors meeting on Tuesday and officially announced the allocation of a ward development fund of ₹25 lakh per councillor.

Despite receiving no additional financial aid from the UT administration or the central government, the civic body is now leaning heavily on revenue generated through taxes, especially property tax, collected in the first quarter of the current fiscal year to restart halted works.

Due to the ongoing fiscal crisis, no fresh tenders have been floated since May last year. The stagnation brought Chandigarh's local infrastructure development to a standstill. Even approved projects like road re-carpeting, renovation of community centres, improvement of public toilets and cremation grounds, and market beautification were put on indefinite hold.

Every financial year, ₹80 lakh is earmarked for development in each ward under the 'Ward Development Fund'. Notably, councillors were not allocated any development funds in the previous financial year, further adding to public grievances over stalled civic improvements.