BMC Budget 2024: No Tax Hikes for Mumbaikars, 50% Expenditure on Infrastructure

Mumbai: With the Lok Sabha elections round the corner, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has presented a budget with no tax hike as expected. Municipal Commissioner Dr Iqbal Singh Chahal presented a budget of Rs 59,944.75 crore. This year's budget is 10 per cent higher than in 2023-24. In a sense, the budget shows the administration's clear intent to focus on completing projects undertaken in the past.

In this budget, it has been decided to implement a six-point program to increase the income of a person to balance the reduced property tax revenue, thousands of crores of funds required for projects, revenue expenditure, etc. As many as Rs 11,627 crore will be raised through temporary internal transfers to ensure that the project is not affected due to lack of funds. Additional commissioner Ashwini Bhide presented budget of education department whereas Additional Commissioner P. Telrasu presented the budget estimates of the civic body to administrator and commissioner Ikbal Singh Chahal. Considering the need for funds for the projects, there is a six-point revenue enhancement program such as making the projects self-sufficient by appointing consultants to conduct economic surveys, setting up of proposed parking and commercial centers on the open fires of Dahisar and Mankhurd Zakat Nakas, charging separate fees for patients coming from outside Mumbai in municipal hospitals.

Financial provision has been made for projects like roads, bridges, transport, water supply, water tunnels, solid waste, coastal road, Goregaon-Mulund link road, shelter scheme for houses of sanitation workers, rain channels, transformation of hospitals, etc. Three new fire stations will be set up in Mumbai in view of the rising number of fire incidents. 

Revenue expected to be Rs 35,000 crore
The budget previous year was Rs 54,256.07 crore, revenue of Rs 35,741 crore is expected in 2024-25 through compensation, property tax, development planning fee, interest on investment, water and sewerage charges, state government subsidy, supervision and other means.

The civic body is expected to receive Rs 5,946 crore from various departments of the state government, while Rs 5,146 crore is expected to come from other departments as subsidy. Rs 4,156 crore is expected from the office towards the expenditure incurred by the civic body to take preventive measures during the pandemic.

According to the 74th Amendment to the Constitution of India and Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Development Plan, a single planning authority will be appointed for a city, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Local Authority and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. 

Increased powers of cleanup marshals
On the one hand, sanitation ambassadors will act as cleanliness advocates; On the other hand, various clean-up marshals will increase people's participation in cleanliness activities. These marshals have been empowered to impose fines on citizens and establishments violating the provisions of the Sanitation Act strictly enforced.

Water bills for small-sized homes
Property payments included water taxes, freight taxes, and other meetings to make payments of tax property taxes. However, property tax has been waived for apartments lower than 500 sq ft. Therefore, a policy is being prepared by the Water Engineering Department to recover water tax and sewerage charges from these residential flats.