RMC approves over Rs6bn surplus budget

Over Rs2 billion revenue target set for fiscal year 2022-23

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has approved over the Rs6.195 billion surplus budget for the fiscal year 2022–2023.

The budget, which was approved by Rawalpindi Division Commissioner and Administrator Noor-ul Amin Mengal, has been approved for 46 union councils of the RMC.

Over Rs144.559 billion closing balance from the previous fiscal year’s unutilised sum has been added to the new year’s budget with expected revenue of Rs2.670 billion for the next year.

In the outgoing year, the RMC management had withheld the development budget worth Rs2.5 billion after local representatives challenged the non-implementation of the Supreme Court verdict regarding the reinstatement of the local bodies. As a result, work on the repair of roads, streets, drainage, sidewalks and other projects within the RMC limits had been hampered.

In the new budget, over Rs522.460 million have been allocated for the establishment, over Rs365.540 million for miscellaneous expenditures and over Rs4,550 million for ongoing expenditures.

Similarly, Rs5,000 million have been allotted for pension, over Rs237.500 million for ongoing development schemes, Rs4,330 million for new development schemes, over Rs10,000 million for repair and maintenance of street lights and traffic signals, over Rs25,000 million for maintenance of roads and patchwork and over Rs1,500 million for construction and building repair.

Under the new budget, the RMC will get income from transferable property, commercialisation, buildings, advertisements, parking, slaughterhouse and public bus stands fees.

The RMC will utilise the development budget for enhancing the city's infrastructure and providing urban amenities. The Rawalpindi commissioner and administrator has approved the budget due to the absence of local body representatives across Punjab.

The Rawalpindi Metropolitan Corporation (RMC) was reduced to the rank of a municipal corporation after the Punjab government restored the Local Government Act 2019. The Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation has 46 union councils.

Under the restored LG system, the number of local bodies in the Rawalpindi district had been decreased to eight, having two municipal corporations, five municipal committees and one district council.

The tehsil and town system had also been abolished and all of Rawalpindi's rural areas had been included in the district council, while the city areas of tehsils were put under the municipal committees. The Rawalpindi District Council has a total of 120 union councils, making Rawalpindi the largest district council of Punjab in terms of union councils.

Murree, Kotli Sattian, Kahuta, Kallar Syedan, Gujjar Khan and Taxila had been designated as municipal committees. Murree has also been given the status of a municipal corporation.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 19^th, 2022.