This yr, UT civic body to spend Rs 4.1L every day on ‘landscaping’

In the years 2020-21 and 2021-22, the actual expenditure of landscaping came out to be Rs 1.08 crore and Rs 1.56 crore, respectively. In 2022-23, until December 31, the expenditure on landscaping shot up to Rs 2.82 crore and an expenditure of Rs 3.8 crore is expected to be incurred from January to March 2023.

This means that the total expenditure on landscaping during 2022-23 fiscal will come out to be Rs 6.63 crore – almost 57 per cent more than what was in 2021-22.

A whopping Rs 15 crore has already been allocated for this purpose this year.
UT Mayor Anup Gupta, he said , “Works worth Rs 9 crore is ongoing and an additional Rs 6 crore has been made. It includes everything like toe wall, play equipment, etc. Moreover, every councillor has been sending demands to develop a good green belt in their wards”.

Social activist RK Garg while speaking to The Indian Express said that the “civic body should rethink its priorities”.

“The UT MC, which is short of money, should fix its priorities to provide better civic facilities. Landscaping is a luxury and this cannot be a prudent financial decision. They should divert this money to provide better roads which are in bad shape all over the city,” he said.

AAP councillor Yogesh Dhingra said that they were told “landscaping is needed as we are inching closer to smart city”. “During the pre-House discussion when the issue of landscaping was taken up, we were told that to attract tourists this needs to be done,” he said.

Few months ago, the agenda to privatise green belts was also put forth. After councillors said that RWAs were maintaining them well, it was resolved that only those not under RWAs be given to private players. It was also decided that one park be given on pilot basis to a private firm.