In poll year, BMC budget bumps up Fadnavis-Shinde projects, avoids risk

With the BMC’s fiscal liabilities going up to Rs 1.93 lakh crore, determination was an anticipation that the BMC would revise lodging and h2o taxes. But that did not hap — underlining the ruling Fadnavis-Shinde constitution was looking to play it safe. This was the 3rd clip that the BMC’s budget was announced successful the lack of an elected body, aft the word of elected representatives oregon municipal corporators got dissolved successful March, 2022. Since then, state-appointed commissioners person been moving the BMC. In March 2024, the past Shinde-Fadnavis authorities appointed IAS serviceman Bhushan Gagrani arsenic the head and municipal commissioner.

The highest backing of Rs 5,807 crore successful this year’s civic fund was routed towards the ambitious Mumbai Coastal roadworthy task (MCRP) for its hold from Versova to Bhayander. Fadnavis pushed for the task during his tenure arsenic CM betwixt 2014 and 2019, with its archetypal signifier being inaugurated successful March 2024.

Mumbai’s roadworthy concretisation task — a brainchild of Shinde — besides got an allocation of Rs 3,100 crore successful Wednesday’s Budget. Announcing the task successful 2022 soon aft taking complaint arsenic the CM, Shinde had said that the task would marque the full metropolis “pothole free” successful 2 years. Since the archetypal enactment bid nether the task was issued successful 2023, lone 26% of the task has been executed. Senior officials stating a full of 187 roads person been concretised truthful far.

In his fund speech, Gagrani said the civic assemblage aims to execute 75% of this task successful the adjacent fiscal year.

At a clip erstwhile Mumbai’s h2o situation has emerged arsenic a cardinal interest and could besides go a large electioneering docket successful the upcoming polls, the BMC allocated Rs 4,000 crore for the h2o proviso task (WSP) section of which Rs 2,270 crore has been earmarked for constructing h2o conveyance tunnels successful Mumbai.

Alongside this, the Gargai dam task — which had been enactment successful the the backmost burner by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) authorities successful 2019 amid concerns of the task affecting 4.5 lakh trees — besides recovered its mode backmost to the fund array connected Tuesday. Drawing a proviso of Rs. 36 crore, the task seeks to augment Mumbai’s h2o supply.

Another lion’s stock of Rs 5,545 crore from the fund was allocated for the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) project, which aims to supply Mumbai an further 2,464 Million Liters (MLD) of h2o each time by recycling 80% of the city’s regular discarded water.

Leaders from the ruling confederation said the fund lone affirms the prime and occurrence of the ongoing civic projects up of the BMC election.

Deputy CM Shinde took to societal media and said the fund was “progressive and inclusive”.

“The BMC’s fund that was presented contiguous doesn’t see immoderate hike successful taxes oregon penalties. It is wide from this that Mumbai is moving accelerated towards a agleam future. This progressive arsenic good arsenic inclusive fund is conscionable the opening of a caller Mumbai, wherever facilities similar health, sanitation and acquisition volition beryllium imparted to each national irrespective of their background,” Shinde said successful a station made successful societal media tract X.

Posting a video connected his X handle, authorities Cabinet curate and BJP Mumbai portion president Ashish Shelar said the fund was a testament to Mumbai’s progress.

“The BMC fund is simply a implicit proposition towards Mumbai’s improvement that volition crook Mumbaikars dreams into reality. This is simply a holistic fund from each facet arsenic it has projected infrastructure maturation arsenic good arsenic situation sustainability,” Shelar said.

Maharashtra Assembly talker Rahul Narwekar, who is an MLA from Mumbai’s Colaba, said the fund was improvement centric without burdening the citizens with further taxation.

BJP Mulund MLA Mihir Kotecha welcomed the revival of the Gargai dam project.

“It is bully to spot that the Gargai task has been revived. I person antecedently raised the pressing contented of Mumbai’s h2o proviso situation and if we bash not physique a caller reservoir wrong the adjacent 5 years, Mumbai’s h2o proviso shortfall could emergence exponentially,” said Kotecha.

On March 7, 2022, the five-year word of elected representatives successful the BMC got dissolved aft the civic elections, which was expected to beryllium held connected February that year, got deferred pursuing Supreme Court’s (SC) determination of scrapping the Other Backward Class (OBC) quota for section assemblage elections.

Alongside this, for Mumbai, determination was besides an further contented of reorganisation of the municipal ward boundaries, that led to the deferment of the civic polls. The apical tribunal is yet to springiness a verdict connected the OBC issue. The adjacent proceeding has been scheduled connected February 25.

However, with the ruling Mahayuti confederation getting a decisive mandate successful the precocious concluded authorities assembly elections, determination is simply a precocious accidental of civic elections happening successful Mumbai arsenic good arsenic different parts of Maharashtra this year, due to the fact that the BJP looking to marque inroads successful to the BMC that was earlier a bastion of the past undivided Shiv Sena.