Bhopal | The process of brainstorming on the budget of Bhopal Municipal Corporation is going on. It will be around Rs 3200 cr. This will be the first budget of the council after the election of the municipal corporation. That's why many election promises are ready to be included in the budget.
A meeting is expected to be held on March 15 to discuss upon the major issues to be included in the budget. A day before, Mayor Malti Rai had called Congress councillors to take suggestions.
The previous budget was prepared by the officers, which was Rs 3,104 crore. This budget was presented without any profit or loss. This time's budget is estimated to be more than this. There is a plan to include every ward in this. The budget is usually presented on March 31. This time also there is talk of presenting the budget around this date.
There will be a budget meeting of the MIC before giving final approval to the budget. Jitendra Shukla, in-charge of the Finance and Accounts Department, said that work is being done on the budget. Leader of Opposition Shabista Zaki said that the construction works of every ward should be included in the budget. A letter has also been handed over to Mayor Rai regarding this.
The Municipal Corporation did not increase property tax in the last budget, but increased the water tax for houses of 2400 square feet or more from Rs 180 to Rs 210 to Rs 300. At the same time, the solid waste charge has also been increased from Rs 30 to Rs 60 to Rs 90. Corporation Commissioner KVS Kolsani Chowdhary presented the budget after the approval of Corporation Administrator Gulshan Bamra. Due to non-existence of council, the last three budgets were prepared by officers only.
Meanwhile, Bhopal Municipal Corporation has a plan to set up a 16 MW wind energy project in Neemuch. A total of Rs 74 crore will be spent on this. The corporation will also take a loan of Rs 30 crore. There has been ruckus in the last two meetings regarding this project. There is a preparation to bring this project again in the budget meeting.
However, the opposition is angry about the project. Leader of Opposition Zaki says that the corporation is already deep in debt. Despite this, the corporation was setting up a wind project hundreds of kilometers away from Bhopal. If the project is brought back to the meeting, the opposition will protest. It is not in the interest of the city.
Before the budget, Leader of Opposition Zaki also wrote a letter to Mayor Malti Rai in February in which 9 points were demanded to be included in the budget. Leader of Opposition Zaki says that no tax should be increased in the budget.
