Plan funds to MCD increased by 52% in current year by Delhi Govt.

New Delhi, Jan 24 (UNI) Delhi Finance and Planning Minister A K Walia today said in the current year, the Delhi government has allocated Rs 1368 crore to MCD for various developmental works as compared to Rs 903 crore in the 2006-2007 period but exhorted the MCD to strive hard to utilise funds released by the city government.

Dr Walia said in the current year, the Delhi government has allocated Rs 1368 crore to MCD for various developmental works as compared to Rs 903 crore in the last year that is 2006-07.

The Delhi government has allocated 52 per cent more funds to MCD in 2007-08 as compared to 2006-07, he said. The percentage increase was 16 per cent in 2002-03, three per cent in 2003-04, 14 per cent in 2004-05, 12 per cent in 2005-06 and 12 per cent in 2006-07.

The increase in 2007-08 in comparison to 2001-02 comes to 158 per cent.

''This is enough to establish generosity of the Delhi government towards the the MCD,''Dr Walia said.

He, however, noted that the local body had not proportionally spent money during nine months of the current financial year, Dr Walia expressed apprehension that the amount would be spent in haste during the remaining months.

Dr Walia said the Delhi government has released an amount of Rs 1032 crore (75 per cent) upto December, 2007 against approved outlay of Rs 1368 crore.

''MCD has been able to spend an amount of Rs 585 crore against the released amount of Rs 1032 crore. The percentage of expenditure with respect to approved outlay comes to only 56 per cent which seems to be unsatisfactory,''Dr Walia said.

The Minister said Rs 183 crore were released to the MCD for provision of essential services in unauthorised colonies in the current year as compared to Rs 12.50 crore provided during 2006-07.

Out of Rs 183 crore, an amount of Rs 144 crore was released as grant to MCD upto December, 2007. However, of this, only Rs 38 crore were spent by MCD up to December, 2007.

Recently, the Delhi government also provided Rs 50 crore to MCD for providing street lights in the unauthorised colonies. For sanitation in such colonies and in JJ clusters, the Delhi government released Rs 125 crore as grant to MCD in the current year as compared to Rs 69 crore during 2006-07. However, MCD has spent only Rs 33 crore upto December, 2007 under this scheme.

Wondering how the MCD would be able to spend remaining amount in two and half months, Dr Walia expressed apprehension that the amount may remain unspent.

Dr Walia stated that under primary education, Delhi government has provided grant of Rs 200 crore to the MCD in the current year as compared to Rs 135 crore during 2006-07. For improvement of roads under MCD, the Delhi government has provided Rs 170 crore as grant in the current year as compared to Rs.135 crores during 2006-07.

Delhi government has also kept a provision of Rs 1206 crore as a Non-Plan assistance to MCD as compared to Rs 980 crore provided in 2006-07. The Non-plan assistance to the MCD is about 23 per cent higher in the current year as compared to last year.

Dr Walia said the Delhi government's Plan Outlay of Rs 9000 crore in the current year is financed by 90 per cent from internal resources of the government, mainly from taxation. The city-government has been releasing substantial funds to the MCD out of its own generated funds.

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