Navi Mumbai– With the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) currently functioning without elected representatives, the civic body has launched an outreach program, Our Navi Mumbai-Our Budget' inviting residents to submit suggestions for the 2025-26 municipal budget. This initiative aimed to engage the public in the budgeting process and gather insights on civic priorities.
However, many citizens have raised concerns about the lack of transparency, delayed implementation of projects, and inadequate tracking of budget expenditures. Key demands from residents include detailed reporting on previous budgets, geo-tagging of public infrastructure to prevent financial mismanagement, and increased spending on critical sectors like education and healthcare.
Citizens Question Implementation of Previous Budgets
During discussions with LokmatTimes.com, citizens emphasized the importance of transparency in budget execution. Many pointed out that while grand announcements are made each year, there is no accountability report on how funds were actually utilized.
Sudhir Dani, Founder of the Alert Citizen Forum, highlighted this issue, stating that before unveiling a new budget, NMMC should present a comprehensive report on the previous year’s budget execution. Such a report should include:
✔ Fund allocation to specific projects✔ Completion status of those projects✔ Assessment of whether they addressed genuine public needs
“This transparency will help citizens understand the correlation between the cost of each project and the quality of work delivered,” said Dani.
Public Concerns: Parking Policy, Healthcare, and Education
Beyond transparency, citizens also raised concerns about the lack of proper parking policies, delays in civic projects, and insufficient budget allocations for healthcare and education. Shockingly, only 2-3% of the total budget is currently allocated to these critical sectors.
Residents are demanding that NMMC:
✅ Allocate at least 6% of the budget to education and another 6% to healthcare✅ Publish quarterly progress reports on project execution via the NMMC website and mobile apps✅ Ensure that budget allocations are based on real public needs, not political promises✅ Use geo-tagging and digital tracking to ensure accountability and avoid financial mismanagement