Date:06/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/06/stories/2008120659640300.htm

New Delhi

Priority for education and health care in MCD budget

Staff Reporter

Proposed expenditure increased to Rs.6,115.93 crore

Proposal to rehabilitate dwellers of 35 slum clusters keeping in view of the C’wealth Games
Civic body has not proposed any new tax and the existing tax structure would remain the same

NEW DELHI: Delhi Municipal Commissioner K. S. Mehra presented revised budget estimates for the current financial year and budget estimates for the next fiscal in respect of the general wing and slum and jhuggi-jhonpri wing of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Friday.

The proposed expenditure during 2009-10 has been increased considerably to Rs.6,115.93 crore given the substantial increase in income by about 35 per cent in the current financial year. One of the reasons for this was a substantial increase in property tax which till now has been Rs.175 crore more than last year and is expected to be even higher by the end of this fiscal.

The increased expenditure has been allocated towards priority areas of education, healthcare and sanitation with education leading the tally with a proposed budgetary allocation of Rs.1,170 crore for the next financial year, followed by general administration (Rs. 967 crore), sanitation (Rs. 889 crore),and public health (Rs. 742 crore).

The civic body also proposes to rehabilitate dwellers of 35 slum clusters keeping the 2010 Commonwealth Games in the city in view. For the year 2009-10, expenditure for the slum wing will be Rs.697.57 crore and Rs.47.37 crore for the JJ wing.

A special package of Rs.2,576 crore has also been proposed towards implementation of various infrastructure projects aimed at the Commonwealth Games. “Of this, projects amounting to Rs.400 crore are related to venues of Commonwealth Games and remaining Rs.2,176 crore will be spent on various development works,” Mr. Mehra added.

“The riding quality of road is being improved in three phases. During the first and second phases, 200 km length of roads will be covered whereas in the third phase 300 km,” he added.

Mr. Mehra said the civic body had not proposed any new tax and the existing tax structure would remain the same during the next fiscal as well. However, a 45 per cent cut on office expenses and 12 per cent cut on telephone expenses has been proposed as a cost-cutting measure, he added.

For improvement of sanitation, the MCD is inviting tenders for door-to-door garbage collection in Civil Lines, Rohini, Vasant Kunj and Dwarka. Dustbins of 1,000-litre capacity are proposed to be put up in market places. Furthermore, de-silting of all drains throughout the year would be carried out by the staff of the MCD itself instead of hired contractors. New malba processing plants are also proposed to be set up at Narela and Burari. The civic body will also buy mechanised sweepers next fiscal for cleaning of roads.

Elaborating on proposals for modernisation of health services, the Commissioner said: “One mobile dispensary each will be run in all the 12 zones of the MCD in the next financial year. Five dispensaries will be upgraded to poly-clinics and five new Ayurvedic dispensaries will be opened.”