Details obtained under the Right to Information Act reveal how money was released in various tranches for the elections by the UT administration, with an amount of Rs 5 crore being released on March 4 this year. (File)The Chandigarh administration shelled out a whopping Rs 13 crore for last year’s civic body elections, which was held on December 24, 2021, the reply to an RTI has revealed.
The amount — which is almost double of what was spent during the previous civic body elections and more than what was spent during the Lok Sabha polls — surprisingly still wasn’t enough to cover all expenses, with bills amounting to more than Rs 3 crore (Rs 3,12,69,824) remaining unpaid till date, under various heads. Details obtained under the Right to Information Act reveal how money was released in various tranches for the elections by the UT administration, with an amount of Rs 5 crore being released on March 4 this year.
The RTI reply also states that an amount of Rs 8 crore had been initially sanctioned on October 19, 2020, to the UT election department by the administration for the civic polls. However, this barely proved to be enough to cover all poll expenses, with a demand for an additional Rs 8 crore being made by the poll panel on January 21, 2022.
Overall an amount close to Rs 13 crore (Rs 12,97,57,621) was released to the state election commission by the administration in installments, as opposed to the initial estimate of Rs 8 crore.
Oddly enough, despite having been given almost Rs 5 crore more than its initial estimate, as on August 31, 2022, the UT administration still owed the poll panel Rs 3.12 crore under nine main heads, including honorarium to staff.
Utilisation certificate given by the election department
According to the utilisation certificate, the total funds received from the administration came out to be Rs 12,97,57,621, which included Rs 7,33,788 that earmed as interest. The election department stated that close to Rs 11.35 crore had been utilised and Rs 1,62,73,244 was lying unspent as on April 1, 2022.
On Friday, while talking to The Indian Express, RK Garg said that if all main bills were pending, then the administration should tell citizens where the Rs 13 crore had been spent till date.
“The administration should pay all the pending bills and then conduct a special audit of all bills paid so far. If discrepancies are found then a CBI probe should be ordered. It is a matter of probe as to why bills are still pending. When all the main bills are pending to be paid, then where was the Rs 13 crore spent?” asked RK Garg, a UT resident who filed the RTI. UT Finance Secretary, Vijay Namdeorao Zade, who is also the Chief Electoral Officer of UT did not respond to repeated requests for a comment in the issue.
UT DC Vinay Pratap Singh, who is the Additional CEO, on being contacted, said that he will speak to the ROs regarding the same and get back.