Achieving the maximum expenditure to improve the city's infrastructure in this year's budget is an important milestone in the financial management of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) according to municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta
Ajoy Mehta
Achieving the maximum expenditure to improve the city's infrastructure in this year's budget is an important milestone in the financial management of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) according to municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta.
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According to the figures presented by the civic body, capital expenditure for 2017-18 was expected at Rs 6,111.07 crore, out of which civic body has till now managed to spend Rs 2,260.61 crore, which is about 37 per cent, with only two months left for the financial year to end. In the previous years, BMC has performed poorly in terms of expenditure and hardly crossed 30 per cent inviting criticism from citizens.
Trends and relief
Mehta said, "This is the first time the expenditure has increased. We managed to change the trend. This time, the revised estimate was more than the budget estimate due to expenditure. We are working towards providing citizens better infrastructure and facilities."
A relief provided in the budget was for resident of SRA and MHADA buildings living without occupation certificate (OC) who pay water charges with higher rates. Now, BMC has proposed imposing regular charges on water taxes. Mehta said, "This will give relief to hundreds of people living in such buildings. We have decided to give them water on regular charges."
Integrating DP
The budget has also highlighted the integration of Development Plan (DP) related projects. BMC has managed to spend Rs 398 crore by the end of December 2017 for implementing DP and hopes that Rs 752 crore will be further consumed on DP implementation. Mehta said, "For the first time we have successfully started the implementation of DP related works. The reservations and other things proposed in the budget will be implemented properly."
BMC has also promised to give jobs to 1 lakh people directly and indirectly through the Coastal Road project. When asked about the move to privatize BMC schools, Mehta said, "It is not a privatization of BMC schools. We are allowing private companies to run BMC schools through their CSR funds. The companies will not charge students anything, so how can it be privatisation?"
Rs 6k cr
Capital expenditure expected for 2017-18
Rs 2k cr
Amount BMC has spent in 2017-18 till now
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