The current budget is Rs 265 crore higher than last year’s figures. However, it has still received flak for lacking focus on environment protection.
Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (GMC) presented its budget for the year 2019-20 in a board meeting on Thursday allocating a total of Rs 1,038 crore to meet expenses. The current budget is Rs 265 crore higher than last year’s budget (2018).
The prospective budget has been put together after adding the outstanding amount of Rs 349 crore from last year’s budget, which wasn’t utilised.
One of the biggest challenges being faced by the corporation this year is to start segregation of garbage at source, said GMC officials.
The allocated budget also enlists constructing an auditorium for public use in Ghaziabad, however, it wasn’t discussed in the meeting.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Singh, councillor of ward no 100 (Shipra Sun City), criticised the budget presented for its lack of focus on environment protection. “Ghaziabad tops the list of most polluted cities, yet we have no regard for or focus on environment. No money has been allocated to improve the environment of this city," he said.
The meeting was chaired by Mayor Aasha Sharma and Municipal Commissioner Dinesh Chandra Singh.
"Hindon river is a lifeline of Ghaziabad. What efforts are we making to ensure it doesn’t end up poisonous? Why aren't we able to clean the river and reduce the level of pollutants in it? We must set our priorities right,” Singh added to his critique of the budget.
