Navi Mumbai civic body clears ₹3,671 cr. budget

Navi Mumbai: The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation's general body passed the 2018-19 budget close to midnight on Wednesday, following three days of discussion.

Earlier, the standing committee had passed the budget with an increase of ₹197 crore, but the Opposition boycotted the meeting, claiming the ruling party did not give them clarity on the projects for which the amount was being changed.

To the budgetary estimates of ₹3,151 crore originally proposed by the administration, which was increased by the standing committee to ₹3,348 crore, the general body has added another ₹322 crore. The budget is now at ₹3,671 crore. Based on suggestions and objections from nearly 70 corporators, the general body revised the allocation for a few projects while adding some more.

For the income, the general body has increased the estimates in recovery of property tax from the ₹700 crore estimated by the standing committee to ₹725 crore. The property tax recovery estimated by the administration was initially ₹575 crore.

The standing committee increased the fines levied against illegal constructions, proposed at ₹4.50 crore by Municipal Commissioner N Ramaswamy, to ₹6.5 crore. However, the general body added ₹1.76 crore to the figure, taking it to ₹8.26 crore.

Similarly, the standing committee increased the Town Planning Department’s target of ₹150 crore to ₹175 crore, while the general body took it up by ₹50 crore. The general body has increased estimates of water tax, which the standing committee set at ₹108 crore, to ₹128 crore. Other estimates and fees too have been increased in a similar way.

Meanwhile, on the expenditure side, the general body has increased the estimate of ₹3,347.9 crore to ₹3,671 crore. This includes the ₹52-crore estimate of loan repayment for a mega city, increased to ₹272 crore, while the estimate for a women’s empowerment centre has gone up from ₹1 lakh to ₹1.01 crore.

“The final budget passed is realistic and public-friendly. The target of achieving property tax has been increased and I believe it is achievable as there are few cases going on in court which if finished in this year itself in our favour, the target can be met with some of the arrears. The budget focuses on education, IT, infrastructure and e governance. We have given a lot of importance for the education of the lower middle class students. The budget will definitely be useful for the public," Mr. Ramaswamy said.