Chandigarh municipal corporation prioritises financial disbursement after receiving grant

Chandigarh: After getting the grant-in-aid (GIA) for the first quarter of the current financial year, the municipal corporation has begun prioritising financial disbursements. As salaries, wages, and related committed liabilities are key aspects, a plan has been prepared in this regard.
Sources in the MC said the salaries will be released in a day as the approval for this has been issued, and all the employees will get their salaries by Thursday. Moreover, since the MC withdrew the pension amount for paying the salaries and electricity bills last month, the same will also be deposited on priority.
"A senior officer held a meeting in this regard, and since the new financial year started on April 1, the required financial formalities need to be completed on paper and then proceed in cases of financial disbursement. The amount will be released as per the directions of the municipal commissioner," sources said.
Payments to contractors are also due and some works are pending due to that. The engineering department has also prepared the list for the payments.
The Chandigarh administration on Monday released the first-quarter grant of around Rs 156.25 crore to the MC, for the financial year of 2025-2026. The finance department of the UT disbursed the amount following intense discussions with senior officials of the UT administration. However, the disbursed amount is quite less compared to the demand of the MC, as the authority was seeking Rs 200 to 250 crore, keeping the ongoing financial crises in mind.