Vadodara’s community halls spend 40% of what they earn over electricity: RTI
Updated: Sep 26th, 2023
 |
| Sir Sayajirao Nagar Gruh (img: VMC Website) |
Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) earned ₹3.64 cr through their community halls in the last three years. But on a closer look at their financials, it becomes apparent that they have spent a hefty ₹1.53 cr on electricity bills, which is almost 40% of their income.
How much revenue do these halls make?
In an RTI (Right to Information) application filed by a social worker, the activist inquired regarding the revenue generated by the VMC-owned community halls - Mahatma Gandhi Nagar Gruh, Sir Sayajirao Nagar Gruh, and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Nagar Gruh.
The RTI sought information from the tourist branch of VMC regarding the rental income of the halls, spanning from Jan 2021 to Aug 2023.
In response to the query, the documents revealed that VMC generated a revenue of ₹3.64 cr in the last three years through the community halls. A total of 1,206 programmes were organised at these venues, with 165 at Mahatma Gandhi Nagar Gruh, 708 at Sir Sayajirao Nagar Gruh, and 333 at Pandit Deendayal Nagar Gruh.
More than 40% of revenue gobbled up by electricity bills
The RTI raised a major revelation related to the revenue generated through VMC’s community halls. Out of the ₹3.64 cr earned through rental income, a staggering ₹1.53 cr was spent on the electricity bills of the halls.
The community halls also hosted several government programmes. Close to 26 of the events were held at these halls during the tenure mentioned.
As per the president of the Vadodara RTI Vikas Manch (VRVM), “The late penalty fee for overtime programmes in these three halls is only ₹1.94 lakhs. This is very low, keeping in mind that most of the programmes run late, but the corporation is not compensated for it. If the collection is done accurately, the revenue can be increased.”
For more such updates and news on the go, follow us on
