RAWALPINDI: Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has given the green light to a budget of Rs. 6.92 billion for the upcoming financial year, with an unusual surplus of Rs. 377.7 million.
According to sources, the budget was approved by Rawalpindi Division Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha, who also serves as the RMC administrator.
In a rare move, the surplus budget includes provisions for the repair and maintenance of traffic signals. This allocation had been excluded in previous budgets, with the cost falling on other civic agencies.
The budget was prepared by the municipal officer for finance, Raja Iftikhar, and was approved without any changes or comments.
According to the budget document, the municipality aims to generate Rs. 6.92 billion through various sources, including property transfer fees, map approvals, property commercialization, rentals, and revenue from other taxes and income streams during the fiscal year.
The estimated total expenditure for the year is Rs. 6.542 billion, which includes Rs. 550 million for pensions, Rs. 426.6 million for salaries, Rs. 411.5 million for utility bills and other office expenses, and Rs. 40 million for charged expenses.
The non-development expenditure for the fiscal year is expected to be around Rs. 1.428 billion.
On the other hand, the budget allocates Rs. 778 million for ongoing development projects and Rs. 2.808 billion for new development initiatives. The initial phases of each scheme will follow government directives.
The budget also designates Rs. 1.3874 billion for road construction, government building renovations, and the maintenance, installation, and repair of streetlights and traffic signals.
Specifically, Rs. 10 million has been set aside for streetlight and traffic signal repair and installation, Rs. 25 million for road maintenance, Rs. 10 million for the upkeep of government officer residences, and Rs. 1.342 billion for maintaining municipal infrastructure and providing essential amenities.
Source: Tribune
