A view of Municipal Corporation of Delhi Civic Centre building, in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Tuesday released its budget estimates for the Financial Year 2023-2024, with the estimated expenditure standing at ₹16,023 crore. The highest allocations have been made for sanitation, general administration and education – slightly over 65% of the total estimate.
However, the civic body’s revised budget estimates, for the Financial Year 2022-2023, show a reduction of ₹472 crore from the previous estimated expenditure, with the estimate now standing at ₹ 14, 804 crore.
In July, when the MCD got its first budget after the reunification, the estimated expenditure stood at ₹15,276 crore.
A senior MCD official said the reduction in the revised estimates was due to a dip in the estimated internal revenue, along with multiple projects – such as multi-level parking spaces – that are yet to take-off in the current financial year, adding that the civic body is unlikely to make payments for the latter until the start of the next financial year.
“Therefore, the estimated expenditure for these projects has been made part of the next financial year’s budget estimates since the projects may start by then. Meanwhile, the allocation for each department has been slightly increased in 2023-2024 estimates, this is mainly because we need to clear the salary backlog and provisions, to help clear this, have been made accordingly,” said the senior MCD official.
He said the budget estimates have only been placed before the standing committee and are yet to be forwarded for approval – with the deadline for the latter being late January. He added, “However, the date to convene the first House meeting for the newly elected councillors is yet to be decided. At present, the Special Officer holds the powers of the House, in the absence of councillors. If the councillors are yet to start their term by late January, then the budget will not be placed before them.”
According to the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2022, the role of the Special Officer remains in place until the first meeting of the House is held.
Meanwhile, the civic body’s estimated income from external revenue sources highlight that a total of ₹1,750 crore is yet to be paid by the Delhi government, and also comprises a sizable portion of its total estimated income – of ₹ 4,250 crore – from external sources, for the next financial year.
“According to the fourth Delhi Finance Commission recommendations, our calculation shows that this amount is yet to be paid by the government. The matter is already in court and it will have to be seen whether they will go ahead and pay it to us,” said the senior MCD official.