The municipal budget to be tabled by Municipal Commissioner Dr Jairaj Phatak before BMC’s Standing Committee on Tuesday, will be around the Rs12,000 crore mark.
Money will flow at the civic headquarters this year too. Sources said the municipal budget to be tabled by Municipal Commissioner Dr Jairaj Phatak before BMC’s Standing Committee on Tuesday, will be around the Rs12,000 crore mark.
Last year, BMC had a budgetary allocation of Rs10,225 crore. Both the figures exclude estimates made for the autonomous wing Brihanmumbai Electric Supply Transport (BEST). The high collection of Octroi and other taxes in the last year will ensure that major works (capital works) get a good currency boost this year. But it is another matter whether the money poured in will translate into quality work on the ground. Only 25 per cent of the amount provided for the last year was utilised for civic works. In fact, this has been the trend for many years now. Sources also revealed that increase in taxes was not on the cards.
The budget suffered a four-month delay due to the elections. It will be presented in an accrual based double entry accounting system (uniform codification) for the first time ever in BMC history. So instead of the earlier cash based accounting system, the budget estimates will be based on funds and functions identified by codes. The largely overlooked sectors of education and health will get a big boost in the budget.
In order to plug the high drop out ratio (32 per cent) in BMC schools, the administration has suggested large-scale reforms in the education sector for the current year, including major repairs at 87 municipal schools, initiation of 84 model English medium public schools and incentives like free uniforms, school books, shoes, tiffin boxes, water bottles and flavoured milk for 3.8 lakh municipal students. The allocation for education is expected to be upped to more than Rs1,200 crore from last year’s provision of Rs780 crore.
Whereas the allocation of funds for health was expected to increase from Rs801.22 crore to Rs938 crore. The BMC in a bid to push the city towards world-class level (Vision Mumbai) will restructure the rundown secondary and tertiary care centres. About 27 maternity homes were also expected to get a facelift. Criticised for the lack of adequate operation theatre (OT) facilities, BMC plans to set up 18 new OT’s by year end.
Water supply and road works, two things which are close to Mumbaikars’ hearts, were also expected to get a sizeable mention in the budget. Though the budget will be tabled by Phatak, sources said it will have the stamp of erstwhile commissioner Johny Joseph, with Mumbai’s development remaining its prime focus.
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