Chandigarh, Mar 17 (PTI) An Urban Drainage Fund with Rs 100 crore corpus will be set up to improve drainage infrastructure in all cities of Haryana, said Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini while presenting his government's Budget for the 2025-26 fiscal on Monday.

This dedicated fund will launch projects to ensure sustainable flood management and protect cities from disasters. He also proposed to establish Common Effluent Treatment Plants in Panipat, Faridabad, Gurugram, and Yamunanagar.

In his budget speech, the chief minister announced Rs 5,666.28 crore allocation for the Urban Local Bodies, a 38.5 per cent increase from Rs 4,091.95 crore allocated this fiscal.

Saini, who also holds the Finance portfolio, said that to empower local governments, the municipal corporations, councils and municipal Committees will be granted the authority to determine taxes and fees.

These local bodies will have the flexibility to set taxes such as property tax, development tax and charges like garbage charges, advertisement charges, and water and sewer fees within the range of the minimum and maximum rates prescribed by the state government, he said.

According to the policy of the Urban Local Bodies Department, priority will be given to cooperatives formed by women and members of the Scheduled Castes in tenders for sanitation works, the chief minister told the Assembly.

To provide more opportunities to women, Saini proposed to allot one-third of the tenders for canteens in government institutions, panchayats, urban local bodies, educational institutions, and other government buildings to women self-help groups on a priority basis.

"The old areas of all big cities which are haphazardly settled will be redeveloped," he said.

For this, the state government will upgrade the road infrastructure to meet international standards, focusing on the needs of all and with a particular emphasis on making roads pedestrian-friendly, Saini said, adding that a 1,000-km Right of Way will be developed in the first phase.

The chief minister said his government is committed to providing better sanitation, street cleaning, sewerage maintenance, road repairs, and gardening services in a faster and more efficient manner by equipping municipal committees with the necessary machinery and equipment.

On the lines of the multi-level parking facilities built in Rohtak and Gurugram, similar structures will be constructed in all major cities of the state to address parking issues and improve traffic management, he said.

The chief minister informed the house that the state government would develop ultra-modern parks for persons with special abilities.

Saini announced the formation of an Industry Labour Friendly Council, which will be chaired by him to provide further momentum to industrial development.

Out of 101 lakh metric tonnes of garbage from 75 old sites, approximately 69 lakh metric tonnes has been disposed of scientifically and 109 acres of land has been reclaimed over the last 10 years, the chief minister said.

This land is now being used to build green areas, parks, and community infrastructure, he said, adding the government has set a target of 100 per cent cleaning of all old garbage sites by the 2025-26 fiscal.

During his over two-and-a-half hours long speech, Saini also said the Haryana government will sign an agreement with the World Bank for technical and financial assistance under which an investment of Rs 3,647 crore will be made over the next six years to combat air pollution.

He proposed to develop a new policy for effective e-waste management.

Under Haryana's Enterprise and Employment Policy, industrial units that adopt zero-waste disposal processes and excel in promoting the circular economy will receive special recognition and support, Saini said.

The Haryana government will focus on raising awareness and developing skills in this area, he said.

To turn this concept into reality, the government will collaborate with private companies as well as national and international organizations to adopt and implement the best global practices, the chief minister said.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has placed significant emphasis on the concept of the circular economy.

Saini said that every effort will be made to begin the construction of an international-level Aravalli Jungle Safari on 10,000 acres of land in Gurugram and Nuh districts as soon as possible. For this, adequate funds will be allocated in the financial year 2025-26, he said.

He also said a Forest Research Institute will be built in Yamunanagar. PTI SUN NSD NSD

Urban drainage fund to improve city flood management and empower local bodies with tax-setting flexibility. An Urban Drainage Fund will be set up to finance drainage infrastructure and sustainable flood management projects; Common Effluent Treatment Plants and an e-waste policy are proposed, alongside international technical and financial assistance for air-pollution measures. The budget decentralises fiscal authority by allowing municipal bodies to set taxes and service charges within state-prescribed bounds, prioritises women and Scheduled Caste cooperatives in sanitation tenders and women self-help groups for canteen contracts, and advances urban redevelopment, waste-site remediation, circular-economy incentives, and major conservation projects.