The Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) will allocate up to Rs 50 lakh per ward for development works under its 100-day action plan, even as roads, streetlights and other basic infrastructure remain pending across the city. The allocation is lower than the Rs 1 crore per ward provided under the previous municipal board, prompting questions about how much work can be completed within the current financial year.
JMC mayor Sunil Kothari said the Rs 50 lakh allocation would be used for essential works recommended by councillors. These may include road repairs, drains, sewerage improvements and park-related works. The allocation will not be an unrestricted ward budget, and project selection and approvals will have to follow prescribed provisions.
Kothari said the Rs 50 lakh provision was for the current financial year, of which around six months had already passed. He also said councillors could recommend works according to their priorities, while some projects could be taken up through the Centre’s Smart Cities Mission or the state government’s AMRUT scheme.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of continuing requirements for basic infrastructure. Under the previous municipal board, the Rs 1 crore per ward budget had not been sufficient to meet the demand for road repairs, streetlights and other works. The lower allocation therefore leaves the corporation with the task of prioritising projects within a fixed and restricted budget.
The 100-day plan also includes an expansion of cleaning operations. The corporation plans to purchase eight litter-picker machines for collecting waste from open spaces. The machines are expected to be made available across the corporation’s zones and deployed in wards as required. However, the tender process is still under way and the purchase has not yet been completed.
Cleaning the “Gandi Galiya” areas of Jaipur’s Walled City is another component of the plan. Kothari said the corporation would prepare a detailed plan for the work and allocate a budget after Diwali. The civic body has therefore linked the Walled City cleanup to a separate planning and budgeting exercise rather than the immediate ward allocation.
The mayor said all works included in the 100-day action plan would be completed within the stipulated period. The corporation must now finalise ward-level priorities, process approvals, complete the tender for the litter-picker machines and prepare the Walled City cleaning plan while working within the reduced allocation.
