Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) is set to table its annual budget to the tune of Rs 2,276 crore for fiscal year 2020-21 on Wednesday before the standing committee of the civic body at a time the state government has unofficially declared a financial crunch.
Last year, the RMC had placed a budget of Rs 2,374 crore, nearly Rs 100 crore more than this year.
Ranchi mayor Asha Lakra told the media that the meeting would start at 11am on Wednesday. “Developing utility and civic services as well as mobilising internal resources of the corporation will be our key objectives,” said Lakra.
A number of councillors have sounded an alarm on the budget outlay. “There is a decrease this time in comparison to last year which is a matter of concern. Only partial sums have been allocated for water and ward development,” said councillor of ward 26 Arun Kumar Jha who is also a member of the standing committee.
Once the budget is approved by the standing committee, it will be placed before the RMC board meeting, which is expected on February 29, for approval. The members of the standing committee constitutes 10 ward councillors besides the mayor, the deputy mayor, the RMC commissioner and other RMC officials.
An RMC official said the total outlay of the budget is around Rs 2,276. The RMC plans to mobilise Rs 205.44 crore from its internal resources. As far as non-plan budgetary support from the government goes, we expect to get Rs 44.63 crore. Under plan head we expect to get Rs 620.93 crore around from the state government whereas from central government we expect to get Rs 653.06 crore,” said an official of RMC.
Sources said that Rs 7 crore would be spent to develop 53 wards. Rs 3 crore will be spent on repair of hand pumps, tube wells and mini water pumps and Rs 10 crore on education.
In the coming fiscal year, RMC has proposed to purchase water tankers for which Rs 66 lakh will be spent. The corporation has proposed to purchase new buses for which Rs 4.75 crore has been earmarked. For upkeep and construction of night shelter homes or raen baseras Rs 66.85 lakh will be spent. Rs 132 crore will be allocated for the construction of roads, footpaths, underpass, footbridge and culvert. To build a vending zone for roadside vendors, Rs 26.72 crore has been allocated. To improve the traffic system, Rs 28.25 lakh will be spent.