E-Paper
PMC presents draft budget of ₹8,592 crore with the focus to create more road network in the city
The 2022-23 draft budget is higher by ₹942 crore as compared with the draft budget for 2021-22 which was ₹7,650 crore
PUNE The Pune municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar on Monday presented ₹8,592 crore draft budget for the year 2022-23,with the focus to create more road network in the city.
The 2022-23 draft budget is higher by ₹942 crore as compared with the draft budget for 2021-22 which was ₹7,650 crore. However, as of January, the revenue for the 2021-22 budget stood at ₹5,443 crore and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is now hoping to get ₹6,000 crore till March 31, for the current financial year.
Kumar said, “As the PMC needs to spend more funds on salaries of staff as compared to previous years, there is going to be less fund for development works. Considering this, we are proposing many projects on PPP (Public Private Partnership) model.”
According to the municipal commissioner, Pune requires better road connectivity even as the city has just begun the Metro rail operations. “Despite the Pune Metro being launched, we want to strengthen the public transport. This budget will focus more on creating road network in the city. If you visit any big city having Metro rail, we can see network of roads is essential. In developed countries and Singapore, they too build various flyovers. Considering this, I have proposed six more new flyover overs in the city and one bridge,” said Kumar.
The draft budget proposed that PMC is preparing the next 25 years’ road plan for the city and has earmarked funds to prepare Detailed Project Report (DPR) for road network.
Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in a city when he said there are limitations to create more roads and flyovers in the cities and as the population and vehicles are increasing at rapidly large number, the new flyovers or road network may not help to solve traffic problem. “By considering this there is need to promote public transport and those considered to be elite also need to modes such as Metro,” Modi had said.
On the issue of mass transport, Kumar said, “We are working on both simultaneously. Without road network, it is difficult to have city’s development. All the western cities and including Delhi are creating road networks despite having metro and other modes of transport.”
As per the process, the municipal commissioner first presents the draft budget and hands it over it to the standing committee, which discusses all the provisions and prepares the final budget, which is approved by the general body. Usually all this process takes two-three weeks.
This time, given that the current general body has only six days to approve the budget before its term ends on March 14, it is going to be tough for the ruling BJP to get the budget approved in the general body. The BJP office bearers said they are exploring legal options before proceeding with presenting budget by standing committee.
Box
New flyovers proposed in the city:
-Sadhu Vaswani to Koregaon Park
-Ambrosia resort to Bavdhan
-Karishma chowk to Karve Statue
-Sun city Sinhgad to Karvenagar (river bridge)
-Pashan Pachwati to Kothrud tunnel
-Kharadi Bypass chowk flyover
-Chandni chowk flyover
-Vishrantwadi
Budget provisions for key areas:
Traffic planning and projects- ₹669.80 crore
Sewage treatment and projects- ₹925.30 crore
Solid waste management - ₹828.77 crore
Health - ₹409.21 crore
Road department - ₹856.56 crore
PMPML- ₹433.19 crore
Garden department - ₹109.85 crore
Electricity Department- ₹299.38 crore
Information and technology - ₹86.82 crore
Primary Education- ₹495.88 crore
Secondary education- ₹75.81 crore
Heritage cell- ₹13.67 crore
