Salaries for councillors, hikes in discretionary funds in EDMC budget

Civic body has been cash strapped since its inception in 2012

Though the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) has been strapped for cash since its inception in 2012, salaries for councillors and hikes in the discretionary funds for office bearers have been included in the civic body’s budget for 2015-16.

Leader of the House Ram Narayan Dubey on Friday presented an “optimistic” budget that envisages an increase in revenue.

In his speech to the House, Mr. Dubey said the corporation’s revenue can be increased by regularising illegal parking sites. He added that the hike in parking fees, implemented recently, will also help.

“Discretionary development funds for the Mayor and the Chairperson of the Standing Committee for 2015-16 have been increased to Rs.3.5crore and Rs.3crore, respectively,” said Mr. Dubey.

In addition, chairpersons of various committees and councillors will get a discretionary fund of Rs.1crore. Mr. Dubey added that a salary of Rs.25,000 will be given to councillors, and Rs.10,000 each to drivers and computer operators. Presently, the 64 councillors in the EDMC get an allowance of Rs.300 to attend meetings. The amount has been increased to Rs.1,000.

With the Centre’s Swachh Bharat campaign on, the civic body has doubled its spending on sanitation from Rs.240 lakh to Rs.480 lakh. Expenditure on providing amenities in unauthorised colonies has been hiked from Rs.250 lakh to Rs.500 lakh. The total expenditure for 2015-16 is estimated to be Rs.2,289 crore.

However, the Opposition Congress has questioned how these promises will be fulfilled when the EDMC is already Rs.900 crore in the red.

Leader of the Opposition Varyam Kaur said: “It wasn’t a budget; it was an election speech. Where is the money to do any of the things proposed by the BJP?”

Ms. Kaur said salaries have not been given for months, development works have been pending and contractors have not been paid for years.

“The EDMC has only Rs.2 crore in its account, so these are just promises with an eye on the Assembly polls in Delhi,” said the Congress leader.

The BJP leadership admitted that funds were a problem, but they are hopeful that once the party comes to power in Delhi the EDMC’s financial situation will get sorted out.

The EDMC has only Rs.2 crore in its account, so these are just promises with an eye on the Assembly polls in Delhi, said a Congress leader