Budget 2017-18: With equal funds for UCs, RMC approves Rs3.16b budget

Nullah Leh to be reinforced, new anti-encroachment checkpoints included

RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation on Friday approved Rs3.16 billion surplus budget for the fiscal year 2017-18.

The budget was approved during a special meeting chaired by RMC Mayor Sardar Mohammad Naseem. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Mayor Chaudhry Tariq who did not utter a single word during the budget session.

As soon as the budget was presented, members from the treasury benches started chanting “approved, approved”. The budget was approved forthwith and the meeting ended.

Earlier, while presenting the budget, Naseem announced that all union councils would be provided equal funds.

Moreover, he said that all schemes presented by the opposition members would also be approved and that they would work with the opposition.

“I am the mayor of the entire city, there will not be any injustice with anyone,” he said, as he vowed not to rest till he made Rawalpindi a beautiful city.

“Rawalpindi will be made like Islamabad,” Naseem further said.

The mayor went on to promise that all major issues of the city including traffic congestion, water, parking, water filtration plants, sewerage, street lights, would be resolved in the shortest possible time.

“We will start a project to permanently stop flooding in the Nullah Leh,” he promised, adding that corruption would be rooted out.

The RMC expects to earn Rs3.16 billion during the upcoming fiscal year, according to budget documents available with The Express Tribune. Of this, Rs380 million is expected to be provided by the World Bank in the shape of a grant, while the remaining funds would be generated from building plans, property tax, contracts fees and fees on various services and the grants from the Punjab government.

RMC generates revenue through market rents, contracts for parks and parking areas and property transfer fees, a senior official said.

For non-development expenses, the RMC has set aside Rs1.38 billion. This includes an allocation of Rs880 million for paying employees’ salaries and Rs500 million for utility services and other expenditures.

The RMC allocated a further Rs30 million for chief minister’s initiatives for provision of municipal services, Rs30 million for the mayor’s discretionary fund and Rs10 million for constructing anti-encroachment check posts and public toilets.

For the first time, the corporation has set aside Rs15 million for helping widows and the specially abled.

An amount of Rs1.66 billion has been earmarked for uplift schemes during the current fiscal year, though only a meagre Rs574.3 million has been set aside for new schemes.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT BY APP

Published in The Express Tribune, July 1^st, 2017.