Rs 37,052-crore BMC Budget presented; focus on health, infra

Shiv Sena-BJP ruled Mumbai civic body presented a Rs 37,052.15-crore Budget for 2016-17, 10.54 per higher than the previous fiscal's estimate, with a focus on improving healthcare and infrastructure facilities. BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), India's richest civic body which will go to polls in early 2017, had a Budget size of Rs 33,519.15 crore in 2015-16. Civic Commissioner Ajoy Mehta tabled the Budget for the upcoming financial year before the Standing Committee.

He proposed, among other things, to convert all street lights into LED, improve ease of doing business, impose property tax on lump sum basis on slum hutments, upgrade roads, fill up over 830 civic posts in three years, set up science lab and hygienic toilets and develop 30 gardens. To make up for dwindling revenue, the civic body increased the rate of octroi on crude from 3 percent now to 4.5 percent to mop up additional Rs 500 crore. In 2015-16, BMC had set a target to collect Rs 7,725 crore from octroi, but due to fall in prices of crude oil, it is expected to net only Rs 6,550 crore.

The civic body earmarked Rs 12,874 crore as capital expenditure to be used for infrastructure projects and set aside Rs 3,693.24 crore to improve healthcare services. It has made a Rs 137.95-crore provision to modernise the abattoir in Deonar area. Currently, the slaughterhouse has capacity to handle 6,000 goats/sheep per day.

After the modernisation, this number will increase 2-3 times a day. The Budget, however, did not make any provision for constructing a memorial of Sena founder late Bal Thackeray. Asked about this, Mehta told reporters the issue is being discussed at the state level.

"This Budget has been prepared to serve the citizens of the city and I am confident it will achieve its goals." The civic chief said he has issued instructions to senior officers to cut wasteful expenditure. He suggested a re-look at medical charges for patients coming to Mumbai for treatment from other places. "We sanction over Rs 3,500 crore to our hospitals and in return, get only Rs 300 crore-Rs 350 crore from them.

We know that 45 percent of total patients come from outside Mumbai. So I have asked the Standing Committee whether outsiders should be charged the same treatment cost as local residents," said Mehta. Asked about Mumbai not making it to the Smart City list in the first round, Mehta said, "We will try our best to make it to the second list."