Pune commissioner presents ₹7,650 crore draft budget for 2021-22

Though the PMC could collect only ₹3,285 crore revenue till January 15 this year, the civic chief has presented an optimistic budget and inflated draft budget from ₹6,229 crore of 2020-21 to ₹7,650 crore for 2021-22

Pune municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar on Friday presented ₹7,650 crore draft budget for the year 2021-22.

(From left) Pune deputy mayor Saraswati Shendge, Pune Municipal Corporation standing committee chairman Hemant Rasne, mayor Muralidhar Mohol, Pune municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar and additional municipal commissioner Rubal Agrawal at the annual draft budget presentation at Chhatrapati Shivaji hall in PMC headquarters , on Friday. (Ravindra Joshi/HT PHOTO)

Though the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) could collect only ₹3,285 crore revenue till January 15 this year, the civic chief has presented an optimistic budget and inflated draft budget from ₹6,229 crore of 2020-21 to ₹7,650 crore for 2021-22.

Speaking to the media after presenting the budget, the commissioner said, “The newly merged 23 villages are seeing major developments and will generate record revenue from building permission and property tax department. PMC would get ₹2,356 crore from property tax, ₹1,985 crore as Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation from the state government and ₹1,000 crore from building permission office. Considering all these income sources, it would be wrong to claim that the budget is inflated.”

Pune commissioner presents ₹7,650 crore draft budget for 2021-22

The civic chief said that though development works were hit in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, this year will see a lot of progress in the sector.

“PMC would execute river rejuvenation and beautification projects. A total of 44 km river front stretch would be developed and the civic body would soon form a special purpose vehicle to execute the plan,” he said.

The municipal commissioner presented the draft budget to Pune mayor Murlidhar Mohol and PMC standing committee chairman Hemant Rasne. The standing committee would study the administration’s budget and present the final budget for the year 2021-22.

Blaming the civic chief for releasing an inflated budget, civic activist Vivek Velankar said, “The municipal commissioner has neglected the ground reality while preparing the budget. PMC hardly received ₹3,000 crore revenue till now despite its nod to execute the amnesty scheme for property tax defaulters. The final budget amount will further inflate as elected members would also add some components.”