BMC presents ₹52,620 cr budget for 23-34, no fresh tax levied for Mumbaikars

According to details, the ₹52,619.07 crore budget will have emphasis on health, education and infrastructure. This is the first time, the budgetary estimates crossed the ₹50,000 crore mark. This time, the budgetary estimates are 14.52 per cent more than the 2022-23 amount of ₹45,949 crore.

Weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken about “funds being locked in banks”, the BMC said that it would tap into some of its fixed deposits (FDs) worth more than ₹88,000 crore for development projects.

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“This is the first time in the history of the country’s richest civic body that the budgetary estimates for FY 2023-24 have crossed the ₹50,000 crore-mark and the capital expenditure is more than 50 per cent,” BMC commissioner and administrator Iqbal Singh Chahal said.

As per the BMC Budget document, the budget estimates for the financial year 2023-24 are proposed at ₹52,619.07 crore, which exceeds the budget estimates for 2022-23, that is ₹45,949.21 crore, by 14.52 per cent.

This is also after 1985, that the Mumbai civic body presented the budget to an administrator as the five-year term of corporators ended last year.

Commenting on the BMC Budget, BJP called it the budget “truly for Mumbaikars” whereas Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray termed it “pro-contractor” that will lead to the financial bankruptcy of Mumbai.

The total expenditure for health is estimated at ₹6,309.38 crore, which is 12 per cent of the total budget, while the same for primary education is ₹2,319.37 crore and ₹10,015.92 crore for Water supply and sewage disposal, as per the budget documents.

A provision of RS 3,545 crore for the Coastal Road Project, which is expected to be completed by this year-end, ₹2,825 crore for traffic operations and roads, ₹800 crore for BEST undertaking as against ₹1,382.28 crore in FY 22-23 and ₹227.07 crore for Fire Brigade as against ₹300 crore in FY 22-23 has been made in the latest BMC budget.

Among others, the BMC in its budget announced at 12 new projects, including the construction of footpaths on either side of roads with 9-metre width, digitisation of classrooms in civic-run schools, air quality monitoring, and family health scheme.

Aaditya Thackeray tweeted that the “unconstitutional state Govt and the BMC governed by the administrator has been showing moral and legal bankruptcy for 6 months”. He demanded the BMC to explain the “hiked expenses in the pro contractor” budget.

The Aam Aadmi Party said the budget is “an annual ritual” aimed at throwing big numbers but utilisation of funds year after year reveals a “sordid saga of ineptitude and incompetence”.

“A record ₹18,746 crore will be withdrawn from BMC’s reserve fund, which is unprecedented. This budget is not for the aam aadmi but for the contractor lobby,” it said.

With PTI inputs.