Patna: The Patna Municipal Corporation's 2018-19 budget, tabled during the civic body's board meeting on Monday, has sought to provide better amenities in Patna, as Rs 82.5 crore has been allocated for the overall development of the city.

Each ward councillor would be entitled to Rs 1.2 crore for carrying out development works in their wards.

A sum of Rs 12.5 crore would be spent on creating infrastructure for the segregation of dry and wet waste while another Rs 47 crore would be spent on the installation of streetlights, the allocation for water supply is Rs 41 crore and Rs 23 crore has been set aside for drainage network maintenance, while Rs 13 crore has been allocated for constructing toilets in slum areas.

The budget allocation for study tours of the ward councillors stands at Rs 40 lakh. According to mayor Sita Sahu, ward councillors would be sent in groups to other cities to study the functioning of the municipal corporation and how they carry out civic works. The councillors going on study tours are supposed to implement ideas learnt during tours in their wards.

"The quantum of deficit in the corporation's 2018-19 budget is Rs 72 crore. While the total expected revenue has been pegged at Rs 792 crore, the expected expenditure on the other hand is Rs 864 crore. This year we have focused on the holistic development of the city. For example, in the last fiscal's budget, Rs 13 crore was allocated for the installation of streetlights, which has now been increased to Rs 47 crore," said Sahu.

Sahu added: "Rs 172 crore has been set aside on the development work of inter-state bus terminal by Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation. Rs 50 lakh has been allocated for the purchase of safety gear and uniform of municipal workers. Lack of safety gear, including oxygen masks, helmets had led to the death of workers involved in manhole cleaning. This is perhaps after many years the corporation has allocated funds for safety gears of municipal workers."

In the budget, Rs 2 crore has been allocated for the conservation of the corporation's encroached land, while another Rs 2 crore has been allocated for construction and maintenance of permanent houses of mayor and PMC commissioner.