Khattar announces increasing financial limit for approving works in ULBS

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today announced increasing the financial limit for according administrative approval for estimates of developmental works in urban local bodies in the state.

Presiding over a meeting to review the functioning of Urban Local Bodies Department here today, he announced to enhance the monthly minimum wages of contractual sanitation workers in the municipalities from Rs 8,100 to Rs 11,500.

According to an official release, now, the commissioner of a municipal corporation will have the power to accord administrative approval to estimates of up to Rs one crore instead of Rs 50 lakh earlier.

Similarly, the municipal corporation would have the power to accord administrative approval to the estimates of above Rs one crore to Rs 2.50 crore instead of Rs one crore earlier, it said.

The director of urban local bodies would have the power to accord administrative approval to the estimates above Rs 2.50 crore up to Rs three crore instead of Rs one crore earlier, whereas for estimates above Rs three crore, the power to accord administrative approval would rest with the administrative secretary of the urban local bodies Department, the release said.

The municipal council would have the power to accord administrative approval to estimates up to Rs 25 lakh instead of Rs ten lakh earlier. The deputy commissioner of a district would have the power to accord approval to the estimates of above Rs 25 lakh to Rs one crore for urban local bodies.

While reviewing the progress of development works, the chief minister directed the Urban Local Bodies Department that roads in 163 sectors of Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran, which has been transferred to the department, should be repaired well before the onset of rainy season.

Khattar also told the department to st up an online system for installation of advertising boards in the municipal areas of the state. On this, principal secretary of Urban Local Bodies Anand Mohan Sharan apprised the chief minister that a provision has been made in the policy according to which, the hoardings would be installed only through e-tendering process.

The chief minister said the practice of carrying out sweeping works during night in Karnal has been very successful and got tremendous response from the public, and directed the department to start similar practice in all municipalities across the State.

He also told the municipalities to enhance their own source of income through land monetisation and innovating funding.

It was informed in the meeting that work of Rs 782 crore is in progress under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme in the state and funds to the tune of Rs 1,126 crore is likely to be incurred during the financial year 2018-19 under the scheme.