Ward development worth Rs 80L: Tall order for councillors, none spends entire fund

Many don’t spend 1 pc of fund, eight not 5 pc and two not even a penny

The details reveal that for councillors Gurbax Rawat (Congress) and Bimla Dubey (BJP), the amount spent is zero. AAP councillor Poonam and BJP councillor Jasmanpreet just spent Rs 42,000 each.

With just three months left for this calendar year to end, many elected councillors, who came to power last December, have not spent even one per cent of their allotted ward development fund, two of them have not even a penny and eight councillors have spent less than 5 per cent of the funds allocated to them, according to the details obtained from the accounts department of the Municipal Corporation.

The details pertain to the period up to September 30 this year.

In December last year, 35 councillors were elected by the people of Chandigarh. Of them, 14 councillors are from the Aam Aadmi Party, 14 are from the BJP (two switched later), six are from the Congress and one is from the SAD. Each councillor gets Rs 80 lakh as ward development fund for every calendar year.

The ward development fund was increased from Rs 40 lakh to Rs 80 lakh in the previous term on the request of the councillors who had said that they are unable to spend funds as many get stuck at various levels and works of respective wards are not carried out. The councillor has discretionary powers to spend his/her ward development fund anywhere in his/her own ward.

The details reveal that for councillors Gurbax Rawat (Congress) and Bimla Dubey (BJP), the amount spent is zero. AAP councillor Poonam and BJP councillor Jasmanpreet just spent Rs 42,000 each.

Dubey said, “I had written letters for various works in my ward. Why they haven’t been started or done yet, has to be checked.”

Congress councillor Gurbax Rawat, however, said that works of Rs 71.48 lakh have been approved for her ward from the ward fund and many of these works have even started while BJP’s Jasmanpreet Singh said, “Works of Rs 28 lakh in my ward are still underway and will be completed soon. Also, other works for installation of swings and other equipment for development of park are being allotted and my entire WDF will be utilised.”

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Poonam did not respond to calls made by The Indian Express.

There are eight councillors of the civic body who spent less than 5 per cent of the funds allocated to them. According to the details, BJP councillor Gurcharanjit Singh spent just Rs 1.29 lakh, BJP’s Harjeet Singh spent just Rs 1.58 lakh, BJP councillor Kuljeet Sandhu spent merely Rs 2 lakh, AAP’s Neha spent Rs 2.07 lakh in her ward while AAP councillors Prem Lata and Yogesh Dhingra just spent Rs 3.94 lakh each in their ward. Similarly, AAP councillor Manaur spent just Rs 2.30 lakh while SAD councillor spent just Rs 3.55 lakh.

AAP councillors Suman Devi, Daman Preet Singh, Jasbir Singh from ward no. 21 and Kuldeep Kumar spent just Rs 10.62 lakh, Rs 17.56 lakh, Rs 14.31 lakh and Rs 19.48 lakh respectively while Mayor Sarabjit Kaur and BJP’s Darshana spent Rs 19.65 lakh each in their respective wards. Congress councillor Jasbir Singh from ward no. 24 spent just Rs 15.16 lakh and Sachin Galav spent Rs 14.50 lakh while Gurpreet Singh Gabi and Nirmala spent Rs 22.62 lakh and Rs 17.63 lakh respectively.

There are some good spenders as well who managed to spend 50 per cent or more funds of their WDF. AAP councillor Taruna managed to spend Rs 41.09 lakh, BJP’s Harpreet Babla spent Rs 52.87 lakh, BJP councillors Dalip Sharma and Mahesh Inder Singh Sidhu spent Rs 46 lakh and Rs 31.47 lakkh respectively. Similarly, BJP’s Saurabh Joshi managed to spend Rs 39.95 lakh while party’s another councillor Kanwarjeet Rana managed to spend Rs 37.41 lakh.

Hina Rohtaki

Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory. Professional Background Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance. Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows. Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends: 1. Investigative & Financial Reporting "Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff. "Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control. "Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT. 2. Governance & Constitutional Status "What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance. "MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure. "No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term. 3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment "Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts. "UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network. "Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump. 4. Lifestyle & Local Trends "Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year. "After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges. Signature Beat Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse. X (Twitter): @HinaRohtaki ... Read More

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