PIMPRI: The General Body (GB) of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) was adjourned till March 23 after a long discussion of seven and half hours on the annual budget. While ruling party members praised the budget, the opposition party members criticised it.
PCMC Commissioner Shravan Hardikar had tabled a Rs 5,235.23 crore budget on February 15.
The Standing Committee has made changes and budgetary allocation has been changed to Rs 5,162 crore which was submitted to the General Body on February 26.
After several adjournments of the budget meeting, the budget came up for discussion at Tuesday’s meeting.
BJP’s Mai Dhore said, “The budget has made provisions of pension for the Divyang (differently abled people).
“The project of ‘waste to energy’ has also been proposed in the budget and the cultural centre that is proposed in the budget is a much needed step.”
BJP’s Priyanka Barse said, “The budgetary provisions are good but the administration must execute these provision with sincerity.”
Shiv Sena Leader in PCMC Rahul Kalate lashed out at the ruling party and said, “The budget is lacking a concrete solution for river improvement and the city is not getting enough funds from the state and Central government and not a single penny has been spent on the Smart City project.
“Efforts for increasing PCMC’s revenue is required, but increasing water tax is not the way to increase revenue. Also, there is a need for significant budgetary allocations for PMPML and metro project.”
Shiv Sena’s Meenal Yadav added that the civic body is planning to arrange for training in driving for women, but till now, only 1,700 women have benefited from this scheme.
“There are just tall promises about the extension of the metro project till Nigdi but the provision of only Rs 50 crore is there for the same. There is a need for immediate action for drawing Bhama Askhed water for the city but the budget is silent on the issue.”
Former mayor Vaishali Ghodekar said, “The water problem is major issue in the city but there is a provision of only Rs 23 crore.”
700 SUPPLEMENTORIES TO BUDGET
At the end of discussion corporators across the party lines suggested supplementary to the budget on large scale. Officials of the civic body said over 700 supplementary suggestions were raised by the members. Total amount of these supplementories crosses budgetary allocation of Rs. 300. The final decision on the budget approval is expected in the meeting which is scheduled on March 23.
