Pimpri: The General Body (GB)of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), approved an annual budget for 2017-18 fiscal having an outlay of Rs 4,805 crore on Thursday.
The Opposition, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) staged a walkout from the meeting alleging they were not allowed to speak at the meeting.
They alleged that Mayor Nitin Kalaje announced approval of the budget without any discussion.
“This is nothing but the murder of democracy,” said Leader of Opposition Yogesh Behl.
The PCMC Standing Committee approved the draft budget of Rs 4,805 crore, presented by Municipal Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare without any modification.
The corporators gave suggestions to the Standing Committee to include some more development work. Instead of changing total outlay in the budget some new heads were created by the Standing Committee. Standing Committee Chairman Seema Savale made a computerised presentation of the budget for the first time in the PCMC.
This new budget figure was approved without any debate.
After the presentation on the budget was completed, BJP’s Namdev Dhake suggested it should be approved.
Within two minutes of the suggestion, Mayor Nitin Kalje announced that the budget was approved. The opposition started raising their voices against this decision, claiming they were not allowed to speak on the budget.
Behl said, “This is not the way to run the General Body. If the ruling BJP wanted to approve the budget without any discussion then why they called for the special general body
meeting.
Mayor Kalje said the opposition members are allowed to speak on the budget after approval.
“They were given enough time to speak but no one raised their hands, therefore, it was decided to announce that the budget has been approved,” he said.
But the opposition was not convinced with the Mayor’s stand, so opinion of municipal secretary was sought. Municipal Secretary Ulhas Jagtap said, “As per the rule the decision of Mayor is final and binding on the General Body.”
Even after this, the ruling party members asked Nationalist Congress Party members to speak on the budget.
But they decided to stage a walkout, claiming there is no point in speaking on the subject after approval of the budget for fiscal year 2017-18.
Highlights of the budget
City development plan: Rs 205 crore
Swachh Bharat Scheme: Rs 97 crore
Smart City project: Rs 49.5 crore
Prime Minister Awas Yojana: Rs 50 crore
Atal Mission for Renovation and Urban Transformation
(AMRUT): Rs 36 crore
Installation of sewage lines across the city: 97 crore
More emphasis on sewage lines in newly merged areas
Butterfly bridge will be constructed on Pavana dam
connecting Chinchwad and Thergaon at a cost of Rs 28 cr
A multi-storeyed parking facility will be constructed in Chinchwad at the cost of Rs 50 lakh
Construction of flyover and grade separator at
Bhakti Shakti Chowk
