For the first time in 36 years, the BMC budget will likely be released without corporators on February 3

The announcement of the municipal budget is anticipated for February 3 by Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal. The budget must be produced in accordance with BMC regulations during the first week of February. The budget recommendations cannot be brought to a general body or standing committee, nevertheless, as the corporators' tenure expired on March 7, 2022.

 

Publication of the proposals' booklets is anticipated for February 3, according to civic officials. The BMC had a budget of roughly Rs 45,000 crores the previous year.

For the first time in 36 years, there will be no general body of corporators present when the budget proposal is made. In 1984 and 1985, the situation remained the same. The ward delineation disagreement was one of many factors that prevented the civic elections from taking place last October, which were scheduled for that month. There is no mention of a date for them. However, the State Government has invested Rs 2,000 crores in a significant beautification effort.

 

Chahal will give a press conference to inform the media of the highlights and deliver the budget this year at the BMC offices. Since March 7th, 2022, he has been in charge of all administrative and financial duties for the civic organisation. He receives suggestions from all the department heads, and he uses his administrative authority to approve them.

 

According to information obtained, both Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have provided budget recommendations. the opposition's leader It is harmful to democracy, according to Congressman Ravi Raja. Officials who work behind a desk can never understand the demands of the public. The absence of a standing committee prevents us from knowing what the administrator accomplished this year. There isn't a common body where corporators may have asked inquiries about different facets of the budget. Chahal cannot be questioned by anyone. He will create the budget this year and present it to himself as he sees fit.

 

However, according to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act of 1887, the BMC administrator has the authority to present the budget in the absence of a standing committee and general body, according to Prabhakar Shinde, the leader of the BJP party in the BMC. However, the ideas would be presented to the civic standing committee whenever the elections take place.

 

The administrator will continue to manage the BMC as he has since last year till then. He stated that up to that point, everyone must request information under the Right to Information Act. Civic activist Kamalakar Shenoy, meantime, has charged the BMC with breaking rules when starting the beautifying project. In this regard, he has also made complaints to the police.