Corporators upset over fund utilisation rider, LMC budget meet today likely to be stormy

LUCKNOW The Lucknow Municipal Corporation’s (LMC) House meeting on Tuesday for the passage of the proposed budget for financial year 2025–26 is likely to witness sharp protests, with corporators preparing to raise objections over fund utilisation restrictions, changes to the road cleaning contract, and poor functioning of the Jalkal department.

Over 55 corporators out of 110 attended a preparatory meeting called by the mayor at her Camp Office on Monday to discuss the agenda of the LMC House. Many strongly opposed the move to make it mandatory to purchase items like lime for roads, e-rickshaws for garbage collection and deep freezers for crematoriums, etc, using the recently increased ward development fund. The corporators argued that such compulsory purchases would contribute very little to the actual development work in their expanded wards.

The meeting also saw the presence of BJP city president Anand Dwivedi, along with party corporators. He said the meeting was held at the mayor’s camp office.

“The proposal passed in the executive committee meeting on March 24 allowed freedom to use the additional ₹60 lakh for any development work. Now, making it mandatory to buy specific items defeats the purpose of the increase,” said a corporator.

The LMC executive committee had proposed a ₹4,236.63-crore budget for FY 2025–26 last month, with focus on sanitation, waste management, infrastructure, and public welfare. Of this, ₹3,254.96 crore was earmarked for key services like cleaning, drainage and lighting. During that meeting, the ward development fund was also increased from ₹1.5 crore to ₹2.10 crore (including GST) after corporators raised concerns over inadequate resources for larger wards.

However, in the revised agenda being brought to the House, corporators are now being asked to mandatorily spend the additional ₹60 lakh on pre-listed items, which they claim were not part of the original resolution. They also rejected the requirement for repeated permissions to use the fund.

Another flashpoint is the road cleaning contract. While the executive committee had approved the reduction of road cleaning area by a private company from 3,500 km to 1,000 km, the modified proposal has not been included in the House agenda. Corporators allege this shows a lack of transparency. Mayor Sushma Kharkwal didn’t respond to calls on these issues when HT tried to contact her.

Anger is also brewing over the Jalkal department’s alleged poor handling of drinking water supply and sewer cleaning. A group of corporators is planning to stage a dharna inside the House to press for accountability of Jalkal officials.