BMC Budget 2021 Focuses on Infrastructure, Health And Transport

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner, Iqbal Singh Chahal on Wednesday, 3 February presented its 2021-22 Budget, with a focus on infrastructure, health and transport. The civic body’s estimated Budget stands at Rs 39,038.83 crore.

The capital expenditure proposed is Rs 18,750 crore, with a major push towards development and infrastructure, and development of civic amenities for the welfare of citizens.

The MCGM will also create a department, ‘Climate Change Department’ to address environment and pollution issues after Mumbai became part of C40 cities in the world to address global warming and climate change.

There will be a focus to readdress flooding spots in Mumbai, since the city has 386 chronic flooding spots, out of which, the budget indicates that 171 spots have been taken care of. It estimates that 120 additional flooding spots will be tackled before the onset of monsoon 2021.

Health Budget

The BMC has allocated Rs 4,278 crore for healthcare with the redevelopment, expansion and construction of nine hospitals including Sion Hospital, Cancer Hospital for proton therapy, Upgrading Plasma Centre at KEM Hospital and others. The Budget also estimates Rs 31 crore for the construction of Tata compound hostel building.

Education

Provision for Primary Education is Rs 2945.78 crore. 10 new CBSE schools will be opened, and 20 playgrounds will be upgraded to improve school infrastructure. A total of Rs 15.90 crore will be used to set up sanitizers in schools as a COVID-19 preventive measure.

BEST

The civic body has kept Rs 750 crore provision for BEST undertaking, giving financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh to the family of each deceased BEST employee who died due to COVID-19 while discharging duty. The gratuity of 3,649 employees will also be cleared with nominal interest rate loans estimating at Rs 406 crore.

Infrastructure

• Improvement of roads for Rs1,600 crore
• Aquarium and Marine Research Centre will be built for Rs 500 crore
• Coastal road project for 2,000 crore
• Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) for Rs1,300 crore
• Sewerage Treatment Project (STP) for Rs1,339.94 crore
• Widening of the Mithi River and other river systems for Rs 280 crore
• Construction of Pumping Station (Mogra, Mahul Pumping Station) for Rs 100 crore
• Provision for Rejuvenation of Rivers for Rs 50 crore
• The Ashray Yojana scheme for Rs 500 crore
• Modernization of Deonar Abattoir for Rs 30 crore
• Rs1,600 crore towards land premium and infrastructural development charges, receivable from Slum Rehabilitation Authority

Water and Sewage Provisions

The civic body has set aside a provision for Mumbai Sewerage Disposal Project at Rs1955.86 crore, with sewerage operations costing an estimate of Rs 168.76 crore and the sewerage improvement programme at Rs 275.39 crore. The provision for Hydraulic Engineers Department is Rs 562.17 crore, with a Rs 6 crore provision for Hybrid Energy Power Project. Major pipeline work is estimated to cost Rs 213 crore and the provision for water conveyance tunnels is Rs 319 crore.