Civic projects suffer due to paucity of funds

Several urban infrastructure projects being undertaken by the Patiala Municipal Corporation are struck because of lack of finance with the civic body. The corporation is reeling under heavy financial burden as it has been unable to service its over Rs 100 crore debt for the past few months. The problem is so severe that the civic body does not have money to even pay salaries to its employees, leave aside taking up development works. The corporation is said to be showing laxity in collecting tax dues. For example, PMC is yet to collect more than Rs 10 crore in form of house tax for 2012-13. It is learnt that the civic body depends solely on house tax to run its affairs throughout the year, besides the share of VAT that it gets from the state government. Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) lent Rs 23 crore to the civic body for carrying out sewerage works, while Rs 25 crore was lent by Patiala Improvement Trust. The corporation is said to be moving slow in monetising the land to the tune of Rs 40 crore to tide over the crisis. Under this situation, the development works in the city have completely come to a halt.