The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s (NMMC)Standing Committee passed a budget with an increase of ₹197 crore despite the Opposition boycotting the meeting. The administration’s budgetary estimate was ₹3,151 crore, which was raised to ₹3,348.93 crore.
The committee estimated a surplus of ₹99.91 lakh from estimated income. The estimates are now to be brought before the general body for final approval.
The Committee increased estimates of recovery of property tax, adding another ₹125 crore to the administration’s estimate of ₹575 crore, making it ₹700 crore. It also increased the town planning department’s target of ₹150 crore to ₹175 crore, and raised the estimate of fines for illegal constructions, proposed at ₹4.50 crore, by ₹2 crore, to ₹6.50 crore.
On the expenditure side, the committee has estimated ₹3,347.93 crore. The estimate for construction of skywalks increased from ₹9.04 crore to ₹15.04 crore, NMMT grant has been increased from ₹90 crore to ₹100 crore, and a solar energy project, earlier estimated at ₹10 lakh, is now ₹90.10 crore. The committee also increased estimates for the construction of an auditorium in Airoli, and the construction of other projects like a gymnasium and a community centre.
The committee also included new projects, like storm drain development (₹40 crore), flyovers (₹25 crore), footpaths in the TTC region (₹10 crore), one-time development of gaothan areas (₹25 crore) and commissioning of a ‘hospital on wheels’(₹4 crore).
The projects for which estimated expenditure has been reduced are water charges, new water pipeline work, the construction of a veterinary hospital, renovation of NMMC schools, constructing of new roads, footpath and nullahs, the installation of CCTVs, and installing fire extinguishers in minicipal schools.
The Opposition boycotted the meeting claiming that the ruling NCP-Congress alliance did not give them clarity on the projects for which the budget was being increased, and that the meeting started after office hours.
The meeting commenced after a delay of four hours on Tuesday, which was boycotted by opposition. Dwarkanath Bhoir of the Shiv Sena said, “Firstly, the meeting was being held in non-office hours, and besides, we were kept in the dark about the changes in the proposed budget and hence we chose to boycott.”
J.D. Sutar, Mayor of Navi Mumbai, said, “It was their right to ask for clarity, and they could have asked again for clarification. Leaving the committee was wrong. It was their duty to be present for the meeting, which they were not.”
