Panchkula, March 11 — The Municipal Corporation (MC) approved a ₹300-crore budget for 2025-26, outlining revenue projections and major allocations for civic development.
MC strives to generate ₹28 crore from property tax, with notices issued to defaulters. Stamp duty is projected at ₹60 crore, while ₹11 crore is expected from land sales, despite no earnings from this head in 2024-25.
Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), required to share 75% of revenue from building plan approvals and plot sales, has not transferred any funds yet. MC has projected ₹25 crore from this component and ₹5 crore from commercial advertising.
The budget earmarks ₹152.7 crore for infrastructure development, the largest allocation. To manage the stray dog issue, ₹50 lakh has been set aside, while ₹2 crore will go toward purchasing vehicles and administrative equipment.
Several key policies were approved. To improve treatment for dog bite victims, five community centres will be equipped with doctors, nurses, and vaccines. Victims will receive ₹10,000 per tooth mark within a week, following Punjab and Haryana High Court directives. Pet owners will face a ₹500 fine for failing to clean up after their dogs in public.
For urban planning, families living in slums for over 20 years will be allotted 1-marla residential plots at 2004 collector rates, pending government approval. Chandimandir’s hilly areas will be auctioned for children’s games, adventure sports, and food hubs under the PPP model. Additionally, 100 acres will be handed over to the Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority (PMDA) for an Education City project.
MC will conduct a fresh survey to regulate street vendors and has given an April 15 deadline to a parking contractor who owes crores to the corporation.
Opposition Alleges Budget Manipulation
Congress councillor Salim Dabkouri challenged the budget’s revenue projections, calling them unrealistic. “MC has projected land acquisition revenue despite earning nothing from it this year. Why hasn’t MC monetized its vacant land?” he questioned. He also accused MC of ignoring illegal mining on corporation-owned land.
Congress councillors further criticized the failure to recover projected revenue from advertisements, hoardings, and unipoles, demanding accountability from MC officials.
