BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta presented the city’s civic budget worth Rs 30,692.59 crores for 2019-20 on 4 February 2019. This amounts to Rs 3,434 crores more than last year’s Rs 27,258 crores. The key focus of the civic body in the new budget appears to be infrastructure.
Rs 100 crores have been allocated for major projects like the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road. The BMC has also allocated an additional Rs 1,600 crores for the Coastal Road Project that is set to cover 9.98 kms linking Marine Drive to the Bandra-Worli Sea link. This takes the tally for the ambitious project up to a whopping Rs 12,969 crores.
One challenge that has stared the civic body in the face for years is solid waste management. The BMC has set aside Rs 100 crores in its budget 2019-20 to develop a Waste to Energy plant with a capacity of 600 TPD inside Mumbai’s Deonar dumping ground. Work order for the plant is likely to be issued by May 2019.
Aside from this, Rs 825.05 crores have been proposed to beautify and manage the sewage problem of Mithi River, Dahisar, Poisar and Oshiwara Rivers.
To improve the quality and lifespan of the city’s footpaths, the civic body has allocated Rs 100 crores for the new footpath improvement policy. Rs 104.47 crores have been proposed for construction of toilets in slum areas and supplying water and electricity in MCGM toilets.
After the alarming number of fires that broke out across Mumbai in 2018, fire safety has been a huge concern in the maximum city. The BMC has allotted Rs 201 crores to the fire brigade for upgradation in the budget. The recent crisis involving the city’s transport undertaking – BEST – has not been forgotten either. The civic body has proposed a capital investment of Rs 34.10 crores to directly benefit BEST passengers. In addition to this, Rs 10 crore has been assigned for welfare of BEST employees.
The education budget too has been hiked for 2019-20. The amount set aside for 2019-20 is Rs 2,733 crores as opposed to Rs 2,569 crores during 2018-19. The amount will mostly be spent on revamping BMC schools with CCTV cameras, digital classrooms and e-library among other facilities.
Rs 4,151.14 crores have been pledged for new hospitals and equipment upgrade.
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