CSMC seeks Rs 1880 crore fund from 16th Finance Commission

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

Every year, funds are allocated by the Finance Commission for various development works. This year, the municipal corporation has requested Rs 1,880 crore from the 16th Finance Commission. Former Mayor Nandkumar Ghodele was also invited to this meeting. During the discussion, he demanded that funds be allocated without applying population-based criteria.

On Thursday, a meeting was organised at Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai between the 16th Finance Commission and representatives of Local Self-Governing Bodies. Present at the meeting were Finance Commission Chairman Dr. Arvind Pangariya, members S K Ghosh, Manoj Panda, Mukesh Khullar, along with former mayor Ghodele and Municipal Corporation Accounts Officer Sanjay Kolte.

A demand of Rs 1,880.97 crore has been made for implementing various public-centric initiatives of the Municipal Corporation. This includes primarily Rs 320 crore for strengthening and empowering the Fire Department, Rs 85.70 crore for setting up a solar panel system at the Jayakwadi Water Treatment Plant, and Rs 1.71 crore for the water supply system, Rs 81 crore for strengthening the Mechanical Section, Rs 822.22 crore as the Municipal Corporation’s contribution to the new city water supply scheme, Rs 55 crore for water supply works, Rs 266.70 crore as the Municipal Corporation’s share for "No Network Area" (drainage) works, Rs 137.30 crore for construction of property inspection chambers, Rs 100 crore for building protective walls along drains at various locations in the city, Rs 10 crore for strengthening the solid waste management section.

Besides, a verbal request for Rs 100 crore was made for the procurement of new electric buses for the city, required land acquisition for various schemes, and further support to solid waste management.