Nothing new to offer, MBMC chief tables `1,213 cr budget

Bhayandar : Newly appointed commissioner of the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) BG Pawar on Saturday presented a Rs 1231-crore draft budget tagged with a surplus of Rs 14.85 lakh to standing committee chairman Dhruv Kishor Patil for the fiscal year 2018-2019. While there was nothing new to offer, proposals were just a carry-over from last year’s budget.

Interestingly, the general body has already endorsed a 30 percent hike in water charges and 25 percent hike in property tax which, according to the civic administration, was inevitable, in order to meet the revenue shortfall needed to pump funds for ongoing and proposed developmental projects in the twin-city which has been witnessing an alarming rise in the population.

While the total anticipated revenue stands at Rs 1213.32 crore, the expected expenditure mooted by the administration is pegged around Rs 1213.17 crore.

However, the yawning gap between the estimated and actual income levels speaks volumes about the desperate attempts to present inflating figures in the budget. Even as the actual revenue generation stands hovers around Rs 600 crore, funds procured as loans from the MMRDA and other government grants and subsidies availed by the MBMC continue to occupy a lion’s share in the draft budget.

The standing committee will discuss the draft budget and place it before the general body for final approval.