The municipal corporation (MC) Chandigarh will convene its 359th special general house meeting on Tuesday to deliberate on the budget estimates for the 2026-27 financial year.
The session assumes significance in the wake of a substantial increase in grant-in-aid announced for the city in the Union budget. According to the official notice, the session will be held at 3 pm on February 17 in the assembly hall of the corporation in Sector 17.
As per the agenda, the total estimated expenditure for 2026-27 has been pegged at ₹1,712 crore. The total available funds are projected at ₹1,632.24 crore, comprising ₹1,248.03 crore in grant-in-aid from the UT administration and ₹461 crore from the corporation’s own revenue sources.
On the expenditure side, ₹610 crore has been proposed for capital development works, while ₹1,102 crore has been earmarked for revenue expenditure. It is noteworthy that the corporation’s projected closing balance by the end of the current financial year 2025-26 is estimated to be in deficit by ₹93.75 crore, reflecting the severity of the corporation’s current financial situation. Key issues expected to be discussed include reimbursement of ₹16.97 crore in electricity duty and matters related to the pension fund.
Financial data indicate that ₹56 crore was allocated during 2025-26 towards reimbursement of the pension fund, from which funds had earlier been borrowed to meet the current financial year’s needs. Notably, no such loan has been proposed for 2026-27, suggesting a possible improvement in fiscal management.
All councillors are expected to attend the meeting, which is likely to witness detailed deliberations and possible amendments before the budget estimates are put to vote.
Major sectors expected to receive allocations include sanitation, road maintenance, water supply, drainage, street lighting and solid waste management. The special House meeting is expected to witness detailed deliberations and possible amendments before councillors approve the estimates.
F&CC meeting also tomorrow; Opposition objects
A special meeting of the Finance and Contract Committee (F&CC) has also been scheduled for the same day, drawing criticism from Opposition councillors. Opposition members who are part of the committee have expressed dissatisfaction over the tight schedule, arguing that they were not given adequate time to thoroughly study the budget.
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