Nagpur: The delayed budget of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is likely to be presented next week by Municipal Commissioner and NMC Administrator Radhakrishnan B.
According to sources, the Municipal Commissioner is expected to present a realistic budget and will cater to all needs of the city. His revenue figures for the NMC for the year 2022-23 will be approximately close to Rs 2,600 crore. Along with the proposed budget for 2022-23, he will also present a revised budget for the last financial year.
Radhakrishnan’s proposed NMC budget for 2021-22 was Rs 2,607.60 crore, while the former Standing Committee Chairman Prakash Bhoyar had increased it by almost Rs 200 crore by revising the estimates to Rs2,796.07 crore. Like every year, the NMC has failed to achieve the revenue targets set by both Municipal Commissioner and the Standing Committee.
In the last fiscal, government grants accounted for 70% of the revenue for the NMC. It had received Rs 1,352.73 crore as Goods and Services Tax (GST) grant from the state government. Usually, the Municipal Commissioner is supposed to present the NMC’s proposed budget by the first week of February every year. Though delayed by almost two months, sources said the civic chief may not introduce any new taxes or increase property tax.
With the term of the existing 155 Corporators and BJP-led ruling alliance — Nagpur Vikas Aghadi – coming to an end on March 4, the Administrator Radhakrishnan B is running the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) affairs till the next elections of the civic body.
According to sources, Radhakrishnan said that since the Corporators will not be available to hear grievances of the public, therefore, he plans to make officials of all ten zones more easily accessible to the people. Process of work and resolving complaints will become fast as everything will come directly to him. Some major development projects facing hurdles will be cleared as soon as possible. Proper utilization of abandoned NMC land for development of the city and services to the people will be done, he said.
