BMC 2019-20 budget focuses on infrastructure

No new projects, taxes, BMC allocates money to complete big-ticket projects, provide amenities

Ahead of the upcoming general and Assembly elections, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday presented a Rs 30,692-crore budget for 2019-20, exceeding the 2018-19 budget by 12.60%. With no new taxes or hike in the existing ones, the focus is on building civic infrastructure.

The budget did not announce any new projects, but has targeted big-ticket projects such as the coastal road, Goregaon-Mulund link road, and upgrade of sewage treatment plant (HT)

The budget did not announce any new projects, but has targeted big-ticket projects such as the coastal road, Goregaon-Mulund link road, and upgrade of sewage treatment plants. The capital expenditure is pegged at Rs 11,480 crore, an increase of Rs 1,933.12 crore or 20.25% from the previous budget. Also, in a first, BMC has made a Rs 100-crore allocation to build and maintain pedestrian-friendly footpaths. The budget has also paved the way for formation of a parking authority, a first-of-its-kind in the country, to regulate on- and off-street parking.

Municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta said, “Despite the increase, we have presented a tight budget, focusing on capital expenditure for infrastructure which will be actually visible in the city and benefit it.”

The civic body plans to dip into its reserve funds of Rs 75,538 crore to fund infrastructure projects and has decided to draw out Rs 5,708.77 crore from it this year.

BMC has also earmarked Rs 52,635 crore from its reserve funds to be eventually used for long-term big ticket projects, upgrade of municipal hospital buildings, Mumbai sewage disposal project, augmentation of drinking water pipelines and Mithi River beautification.

With this being the first budget after Mumbai’s development plan 2034 was approved by the state in May 2018, BMC has allotted a whopping Rs 3,323.64 crore towards implementation of development plan, and developing 42 of the 142 proposed civic amenities, such as toilets, parking lots, municipal dispensaries, or schools.

Mehta has asked all 24 wards to identify deficiencies in the amenities available in their respective wards, and prioritise their development via this budget. The expected expenditure on DP in 2019 has increased by 119%, in comparison to 2018. “Increase in spending on development plan is a welcome move. It will be great if they couple it with DP implementation review in the next budget. Dipping into its reserves at a time of depleting revenues in a post-octroi phase, however, is a matter of serious concern,” said Pankaj Joshi, executive director of Urban Design Research Institute.

The service fee and entry fee to access public places such as Malabar Hill viewing gallery, Byculla zoo, and Mumbai’s first crafts village Shilpagram at Jogeshwari are likely to be hiked, although the amount is not decided.

Taking a cue from the music academies set up in civic schools of seven wards to provide free music lessons, BMC has allocated Rs 3.8 crore to set up such academies in every ward.

Roads and traffic, bridges, storm water drains, information and technology, water supply, sewerage disposal and health department account for 51% of the total allocation.

Yashwant Jadhav, standing committee chairman, said, “It is a good and people-centric budget. The promises made by the Shiv Sena are being fulfilled.”

Ravi Raja, leader of Opposition in BMC, however, was unimpressed. “The budget is evidently carved out for the election year. It is an unrealistic budget, and is making false promises to citizens. BMC increased the budget outlay by 12.60%, giving money to projects that have been going on for four or five years and are stuck. This budget is unlikely to yield any results on the field, and will be difficult to implement.”