PCMC GB approves budget without changes

The general body (GB) of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) on Friday approved the budget for the next financial year presented by the civic administration without any changes in just 10 minutes.

The GB also rejected the standing committee’s proposal of diverting Rs57 crore from the ward budget.

PCMC mayor Yogesh Behl said the civic body had cleared Rs1,513 crore budget of 2011-2012 presented by
municipal commissioner Ashish Sharma.

The GB will announce its stand on the suggestion made by the standing committee on the budgetary provision for Rs15 crore for metro rail project and new PMPML bus routes on March 31 after having a discussion on the issue.

The civic administration has proposed to spend Rs200 crore under Jawaharlal Nehru national urban renewal mission (JNNURM) for projects like Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), storm water management, drainage system and other schemes in the budget.

Sharma handed over the draft budget to former standing committee chairman Prashant Shitole last month. The standing committee discussed the draft budget for nearly a week.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) unit president, Azam Pansare, who recently resigned from the party, pointed out at the beginning of the meeting that it would approve only the budget presented by Sharma. He was supported by leader of the opposition and Congress corporator Hanumant Bhosale.

Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporators attended the GB wearing black clothes and had planned  to hold an agitation if the general body approved the standing committee’s suggestion of diverting funds amounting to Rs57 crore meant for the wards of non-NCP corporators to the wards of NCP corporators.

On Thursday Sena, BJP and Congress corporators had agitated near the PCMC office for four hours.

After the GB meeting, Pansare told media persons, “We want overall development of Pimpri-Chinchwad and not partial development. If the funds of some wards are diverted elsewhere, it will be unjust
to citizens.’’