According to councillor Chander Mukhi Sharma,officials claimed that they cannot spend more than Rs 100 crore per year. The city should not be made to suffer because the officials are inefficient and incompetent. Why cant they ensure that work of more than Rs 100 crore is executed? The budgetary allocation under almost every head has been reduced. The budget is not acceptable to us so we have asked for it to be redrawn, he said.

Similar views were echoed by councillor Jatinder Bhatia.

He said officials have been asked to prepare a budget of more than Rs 600 crore instead of the Rs 488 crore presented.

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There needs to be more allocation for the Industrial Area,community centres,development of other infrastructure as well as beautification of the city,the councillors felt.

If the civic body cannot pursue work of more than Rs 100 crore,then why are we imposing taxes on residents? We should stop taking any tax. Even the figures of funds under the JNNURM scheme do not tally. The civic body has not received complete grants, Bhatia said.

This is the first time that the budget has been unanimously rejected by members of the Finance and Contract Committee. After the committee approves the budget,it is usually sent to the House for approval.

While earlier the House Meet had been scheduled for Monday,it would now be postponed till the committee approves the budget.

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Another issue raised by councillors was that the Administration,while asking MC to impose property tax,had said it would give equivalent grants to the civic body.

However,for the past two years no grant has been received.

The councillors demanded that either the UT Administration give the grant or the tax be revoked.