The civic chief acknowledged that a slump in real estate sector had caused a downfall of over 20%, amounting to a loss of over Rs 1,000 cr of income from the Development Plan department
There are no new taxes in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) 2018-19 Budget, which means there is no rise in your water bill or property tax.
The Rs 27,258.07 crore Budget, presented by the Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta on Friday, places great importance on fire safety compliance (lessons learnt from recent spate of fires in the city), cycle track along Tansa mains (which the Corporation believes could be the shortest route in Mumbai from North to South and West to East), Rs 1,500 crore for Coastal Road (a commitment that was in last year's budget too), massive financial support for major hospitals such as Sion Hospital and Nair Hospital (where one person was killed recently in an MRI mishap), and privatization of 35 BMC schools that will pave way for a new policy of public-private partnership.
The civic chief acknowledged that a slump in real estate sector had caused a downfall of over 20 per cent, amounting to a loss of over Rs 1,000 crore of income from the Development Plan department. He also stated that while octroi was abolished in the wake of the Goods and Services Tax by the Centre, the contribution in lieu of it had stabilized the revenue stream with 8 per cent year-on-year rise.
The Budget is a surplus one – of Rs 7.02 crore — which is marginal, but Mehta has conceded that the civic body will have to dig into its reserve funds time and again to ensure development projects aren't hit.
The Kamala Mills fire that killed 14 people in December 2017, exposed an ugly underbelly of the civic body — the lethargic Fire department that didn't aggressively pursue compliance. The Commissioner has promised to address this with a special cell, purchase of new system to track fire vehicles and training of firemen and officers. The Corporation has also managed insurance for the firemen, which is a first of its kind.
BMC has also proposed a mega overhaul of its health care: Upgradating of major hospitals and strengthening of peripheral hospital network in such a way that institutions are not overburdened and patient inflow is streamlined.
Around Rs 2,058 crore will spent on road works across the city. These includes improvement of S V Road from Bandra to Oshiwara, LBS Road in Eastern Suburbs, additional exit from Eastern Express Highway to Mulund, proposal for connectivity from Worli Sea Link to Rang Sharda in Bandra, among others.
Over 22,000 parking spaces in city will be managed by a more efficient system. There is a renewed provision of Rs 1,500 crore for the Coastal Road which is Shiv Sena's pet project. The cycle track along Tansa Mains is likely to be the flagship for the civic body where there will be 40 exits, a Bollywood Walk of Fame, Mumbai Books Route, Cocoon track, among other things.
On the education front, BMC plans to privatise 35 schools and has also proposed International Schools, a music academy to promote Indian Classical music, sanitary pad vending machines and incinerators, protein-rich dry snacks, central announcement system and 4064 CCTV cameras in civic schools.
For waste segregation, the Corporation plans to provide 12.60 lakh bins of various sizes over the next three years. It has also proposed to set up plants to treat 1700 mld of sewage water to be recycled for gardens etc.
MUMBAI’S BUDGET PIE
- Rs 27,258 cr
The BMC’s overall budget to spend on Mumbai city
- 20%
Downfall in income caused by real estate sector slump
- Rs 15,00 cr
Renewed commitment for Coastal Road
ICING ON THE CAKE
- Fire safety gets big boost; stress on compliance via special cell, insurance for firemen
- Major hospitals, including Nair Hospital, Sion Hospital, get huge financial boost
- Cycle and walking tracks along Tansa Mains
- 381 sanitary pad vending machines in 345 BMC schools
- 15-storeyed working women hostel in Goregaon
- Malad, Mahalaxmi and Deonar to get pet crematoriums
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "BMC")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}