INLD Haryana Treasurer and Panchkula Urban District President Manoj Agarwal has questioned the BJP government and the Municipal Corporation over what he described as a sharp deterioration in the civic body’s financial position. Citing a media report, Agarwal claimed that the corporation, which had a cash surplus of ₹138.74 crore in 2024-25, slipped to a deficit of ₹22.84 crore a year later, and demanded that the reasons be made public. According to figures cited by Agarwal, the Municipal Corporation’s revenue fell from ₹307.34 crore to ₹167.65 crore, while expenditure increased from ₹168.60 crore to ₹190.50 crore. He also highlighted a steep decline in tax revenue, which reportedly dropped from ₹159.82 crore to ₹40.54 crore, raising questions over revenue collection and financial management.
Agarwal further claimed that around ₹108 crore in property tax remained outstanding as of June 2026, including substantial dues from major defaulters and government properties. He questioned why the corporation was unable to recover crores in pending taxes while ordinary shopkeepers and homeowners face notices and warnings for non-payment. The INLD leader also questioned spending priorities at a time when the civic body is allegedly facing a deficit. He referred to expenditure of around ₹1.50 crore on new city entrance gates and proposed projects related to the beautification and rejuvenation of stormwater drains, whose estimated cost has reportedly been pegged at up to ₹95.42 crore.
Agarwal said INLD was not opposed to development but insisted that the priority, cost and utility of major projects must be publicly justified when significant tax dues remain unpaid. He demanded that the Haryana government issue a white paper on the Panchkula Municipal Corporation’s finances, disclose its financial records for the past five years and order an independent special audit. “The Municipal Corporation runs on public money, and people have the right to know how every rupee is being spent,” he said.
