Ctg City Corporation announces Tk2,161 cr budget

The Chattogram City Corporation has announced a budget outlay of Tk2,161.28 crore for the FY2022-2023 although it could not implement even 50% of the previous budget.

Besides, the revised budget of Tk1,202.57 crore for the FY2021-2022 was also approved by the board.

The proposed budget for the FY2021-2022 was Tk2,463.96 crore. 

Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury placed the budget on Sunday, the second of his tenure, at the city's Theatre Institute Auditorium.  

Of the total revenue, Chattogram City Corporation has set a target to earn Tk908.57 crore from its own sources while development grants have been estimated at Tk 1,212 crore and Tk39.70 crore from other sources.

A total of Tk290 crore will be spent on salaries and wages, Tk 176.30 crore of the budget on paying off arrears while Tk 1259.50 crore will be spent on different development projects, Tk46.80 crore on repair and maintenance and Tk32.95 crore for other sectors.

The target to earn revenue from own sources in the previous budget was Tk852.01 crore which came down to Tk477.90 crore in the revised budget for the FY2021-22.

The target to earn development grants was Tk1,570 crore in the previous budget which also was lowered to Tk689 core in the revised budget.  

In answering the question of media why even 50% of the budget was not implemented, City Mayor Rezaul Karim said that many development projects could not be implemented due to the Covid outbreak. But this budget is very much practical, he added.

Regarding the worst type of waterlogging that has been prevailing in Chattogram for years, the Mayor attributed to the random hill cutting and dumping wastage in canals and drains along with the siltation of the Karnaphuli river.   

He informed that the Chattogram Development Authority has been implementing the Chittagong Waterlogging Removal Project (CWRP) project worth Tk5,616 crore in 36 canals. Besides, the Water Development Board and the city corporation are jointly working on solving the waterlogging with the government fund.   

In his budget speech, Rezaul Karim said that the corporation has been implementing a number of fresh development projects for about 70 lakh residents here over the last one year.

Of that, a Tk2,491 crore worth project was undertaken for roads and other infrastructure development including the airport road and Tk1,362 crore project for the Karnaphuli river excavation from Baroipara.