Development of city at stake as AMC's budget implementation committee fails to meet in last two months

Aurangabad, May 29:

The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) due to the first wave of the Covid-19 was unable to implement the annual budget during the last year. The AMC, however, this year announced a budget of Rs 1275 crore on March 31 and also formed an independent committee to ensure the works approved in the budget are implemented during 2021-22. The development of the city is at stake as not a single meeting of the committee was held in the last two months.

The revenue sources of AMC have been sealed except the property tax and the water tax. The financial condition is deteriorating due to the pandemic situation. The civic body is facing hardship in undertaking essential and day-to-day works. The situation was more or less the same during the last year. Despite all odds, the AMC administration has aimed to implement many new projects which are included in the budget. Earlier, the AMC constructed cement roads in all 115 wards from its fund in the last few years. However, the condition of the main roads is bad to some extent. Hence the civic administration vowed to spend Rs 100 crore and develop the important roads in the city. It is hoped that these works would be launched after the rainy season.

The tender of reconstructing Nehru Bhavan had been published, while the other important works included in the budget are the construction of transfer station for solid waste management; multi-level parking at Paithan Gate; petrol-diesel pumps owned by AMC at six different places in the city; construction of swimming pool at Garware Sports Complex; develop Entertainment Park in various gardens of AMC etc. Accordingly, the committee was formed to ensure these works are implemented, but not a single meeting took place in the past couple of months to discuss the approved works and plan their implementation.