Seven months into the financial year, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) councillors will get the first instalment of their discretionary funds allocated for local development works.
The cash-strapped civic body has been unable to start any new projects this year. For each of the 64 wards, the EDMC’s budget had allocated Rs.1 crore as the councillor’s fund. With this fund, they are expected to get smaller projects like lighting and greening of parks, as well as minor repairs done. The EDMC has been late on salary payments and has not paid pensions for two years, with a total liability of Rs.800 crore.
“We have a liability of Rs.200 crore towards our contractors, so that will increase. We will get the work done and then the bills will be paid from the non-plan budget,” said Mayor Harsh Deep Malhotra.
At a meeting of the House on Monday, councillors demanded that some amount of the fund be allocated before the festive season.
She said that Rs.25 lakh for each ward wasn’t enough, but it was better than nothing. “It’s already quite late, but we will be able to get small repairs done,” said Lata Gupta, chairperson of the Standing Committee.
