Rs 26 crore BMC budget passed; property tax for slum dwellers

According to the new BMC budget, Mumbai slum dwellers too would have to pay property tax as per the new announcement made by Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta in his Budget Speech approved in the General Body Meeting late night on Tuesday at 12. 20 am. However, Mehta did not announce any major provision for Project Affected People(PAP) nor any financial help to the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) body which is facing financial crisis.

Opposition party corporators raised slogans against ruling party civic commissioner and walked out of the corporation committee meeting even as the Rs 26 crore budget got approved amidst the chaos itself.

For 26 hours 232 corporators from all parties presented their budget speech giving suggestions to the BMC administration over utilising funds. The civic chief ensured everybody that health, infrastructure(roads) and education would be given top priority.

Also, Mehta said that on pension, Provident Fund (PF) and other major pending projects like Gargai Pinjal dam construction, coastal road project, work funds would be utilised.

After the GST was implemented, octroi collection has stopped which was the major source of income for the BMC. The state and Centre would pay the BMC the compensation for the next five years, Mehta added.

Also, the civic chief in his budget speech claimed that in the future the work in the civic corporation would become paperless. Citizens sitting at home can get digital copies of municipal corporation’s work through the website. Also, to improve civic hospitals modular operation theatres would be made. King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEM) would soon have a 20-storeyed building, Sion civic hospital would be up for redevelopment.