The latest budget approved by the Standing Committee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has triggered a political controversy after allocations were reduced for several key schemes to fund ward-level projects through corporators. Nearly Rs 800 crore has been earmarked for corporator-led works through multiple provisions.
“We have allocated funds according to the amount required for the project,” said Prabhakar Shinde, defending the changes.
Several social and infrastructure schemes have seen notable cuts. The Aashray Yojana, which focuses on housing for sanitation workers, has been reduced from Rs 1,120 crore to Rs 1,012 crore. Funding for the Galichha Basti Sudhar Yojana, aimed at upgrading slum infrastructure, has been lowered from Rs 171 crore to Rs 133 crore. Similarly, allocations for the Development Plan (DP)-linked amenities in the western suburbs have been cut from Rs 1,000 crore to Rs 550 crore.
One of the sharpest reductions has been in primary healthcare funding, where the budget for clinics in the eastern suburbs has been slashed from Rs 204 crore to just Rs 4 crore.
“Planning for developing reservations and housing for sanitation workers is important and should not have been cut,” said Ashraf Azmi.
Echoing similar concerns, Dr Saeeda Khan said budget allocations should be made only after evaluating all aspects.
Under Mumbai’s Development Plan, land is reserved for essential public amenities such as gardens, schools, clinics and crematoriums. The civic body often needs to acquire land to execute these projects, and reduced funding for such acquisitions could delay implementation timelines for critical infrastructure.
The opposition has also raised questions over the distribution of corporator funds. Apart from the standard Rs 60 lakh allocation, each corporator has been given Rs 1 crore under ward committee funds. However, BJP corporators have reportedly received Rs 2.25 crore each, while members from the Uddhav Sena and Congress have been allotted only Rs 2.5 lakh each.
The budget, incorporating these Rs 800 crore revisions, is expected to be placed before the BMC general body for final approval.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
