‘Give MC share in Gmada’s over 2,000cr auction haul’

Mohali: Deputy mayor Kuljit Singh Bedi has asked Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann to allocate minimum 10% (Rs 260 crore) of the Rs 2,605 crore earned by Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (Gmada) in its recent auction, to the MC. He added that this would ease the financial constraints faced by the civic body.
In a letter addressed to the chief minister, a copy of which was also forwarded to the Gmada chief administrator, Bedi highlighted the pre-existing agreement between the municipal corporation and Gmada, which stated that Gmada would contribute 25% of the funds required for developmental projects undertaken by the Mohali Municipal Corporation.
Bedi said that a prior agreement with Gmada during the tenure of the previous municipal corporation mandated annual allocation of Rs 50 crore by the authority for upkeep and enhancement of parks within the jurisdiction of the MC. However, Gmada had failed to honour this commitment, he said. Bedi said that Gmada had disbursed Rs 16 crore to the MC in 2021-22, Rs 15.81 crore in 2022-23, and Rs 17.08 crore in 2023-24, in accordance with the 25% agreement.
This time, 2024-25 was more than halfway through but Gmada was yet to release any funds to the MC under the aforementioned agreement.
Pointing out that responsibilities of the MC had greatly increased due to rapid development of Mohali, the deputy mayor said that Gmada had failed to fulfill the promise of providing Rs 10 crore for procurement of vehicles to facilitate mechanical cleaning of main roads and B roads in Mohali. He said that the company which had the contract deployed two vehicles using its own funds and two additional vehicles were expected soon.
Bedi said that the MC had sent two letters to the Gmada chief administrator, requesting release of around Rs 25 crore for the current year, in addition to Rs 10 crore for mechanical cleaning vehicles. However, he said that Gmada officials had not made any payment to the MC, adversely affecting the developmental works and tarnishing the reputation of the MC.