GHMC budget of 6,224 crore for 2023-24 fiscal was ratified during its fifth general body meeting on Saturday.
Owing to protests from both BJP and Congress corporators, no discussion took place on the budget or the listed agenda as mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi straight away called for a vote after her efforts to calm the opposition members failed.
GHMC has revised the 2022-23 fiscal budget from 6,150 crore to 6,475 crore.
In the 2023-24 budget, the civic body has allocated 25% of its expenditure i.e., 1,530 crore for new roads, flyovers, bridges, road under bridges (RuBs), road under bridges (RoBs) and traffic signals.
Specifically, 775 crore has been allotted for strategic road development programme (SRDP), 150 crore towards the comprehensive road maintenance programme (CRMP) and 605 crore towards other road development works and maintenance. Land acquisition allocation has been kept at 700 crore, nala expenditure at 510 crore, and street lighting at 240 crore. GHMC has allocated 450 crore, which is 7% of its expenditure, towards debt servicing (paying loans). Of it,390 crore is towards interest element alone.
Furthermore, GHMC estimates that 20% of receipts, 1,218 crore, would be through borrowings. The revenue particulars of the budget estimate that the civic body would receive around 2,000 crore from property taxes, which accounts for 32% of total receipts. “The increase in property tax receipts is due to 100% assessment of new properties and mutation automatically on registration of property without human interface,” a GHMC press release said.
The town planning wing’s estimated revenue for the 2022-23 fiscal is estimated at 1,750 crore, which contributes to 28% of total receipts. The general body meeting kicked off with protests after BJP and Congress corporators demanded that other items on the agenda take precedence over the budget discussion.
However, the mayor insisted that they go according to the agenda. Soon, the corporators from opposition parties gathered around the chair with Congress placards showing pictures of a road collapse in Chaknawadi lane in Goshamahal on Friday.
Vijayalakshmi eventually adjourned the meeting and slammed BJP, stating that they failed to represent their division.