Delhi govt releases funds for municipal corporations

Delhi government today released the first tranche of Rs 1,033 crore for the three municipal corporations for execution of various projects by the civic bodies.
The government had allocated a sum of over Rs 5,000 crore to the three municipal corporations for financial year 2013-14 for various projects.
"The finance department of Delhi government has allocated Rs 5095.25 crore in the current year, 2013-14 for the three Municipal Corporations. Rs 1033.14 crore from the first instalment, which is 25 per cent of total allocation and comes to about Rs 1273.81 crore, has been released," Delhi's Urban Development Minister Arvinder Singh while releasing the funds.

"As far as grants-in-aid is concerned, the government has so far released Rs 795.12 crore or 82 per cent of the first installment. In addition, Rs 224.31 crore has also been sanctioned towards share in stamp duty and would be released in a couple of days," the minister said.
Reacting to earlier reports of civic bodies complaining about delay in receipt of funds, Singh said the corporations themselves were to blame.
"The funds earmarked would be released on time provided the required basic information is received in time," Singh said, adding had this happened, the city government would have released the entire 25 per cent share of allocated Grants-in-Aid.

The minister also criticised the corporations for failing to spend the allocated funds on time and asking for further release of instalments.
"The municipal corporations have not been able to utilise the amount already released to them in 2009-10 in the first installment under JNNURM. Hence, there is no justification for releasing the subsequent installment," he added.