PCMC Commissioner on Tuesday presented a budget of Rs. 8,676 crores for the financial year 2024-25.
Shekhar Singh PCMC Commissioner
Shekhar Singh has proposed a special focus on improving health infrastructure, including a proposal for a special hospital for burn victims in view of last year’s Talwade unit fire where 13 workers were found dead.
In addition to this Shekhar Singh gave much-needed relief to the citizens by not raising any tax hike in the budget. Instead, their focus will be on identifying the undetermined properties and completing their assessment, Singh said.
“PCMC team have surveyed 5.47 lakh properties so far and around 30% of them are found to be undetermined.
Once these properties are brought under the tax net, the property tax revenue is expected to grow around by 30% in the upcoming financial year. Besides, PCMC is also planning to recover arrears from owners of such properties, Singh said.
Undetermined Properties in PCMC
In civic body limits a total of 1.62 lakh undetermined properties have been found and PCMC officials expect the number to go up to 2.5 lakh at the end of the ongoing survey.
PCMC has started assimilating the property tax department’s system with that of the registrar’s office to get instant alerts once a new property is registered among the new projects.
“This will bring down the number of undetermined properties in the PCMC civic body limits. The latest PCMC budget has also recommended the scanning and digitization of the tax department’s records, a civic official said.
Mr. Singh also proposed the development of a road of around 61km in various areas, while six important roads would be developed as per the urban street design.
PCMC Health Infrastructure
To enhance health infrastructure in the municipality limits, three new hospitals have been recommended in the budget.
Besides, a specialized hospital for burn victims, the budget also proposed a dedicated hospital for cancer patients and a multispecialty health hub.
The PCMC will also set up eight new fire stations to ensure the presence of one such facility in a 10km radius of the twin cities. Mr. Singh said.
A cost of Rs. 200 crores has been set aside to install CCTV cameras at 200 sites across the twin cities under the second phase of the project and Rs 5.45 crores have been reserved for the beautification and installation of poles under the Metro route between Dapodi and Pimpri stations.
Miscellaneous Development
Rs 1,863 crore has been assigned for various development in the budget and Rs 1,898 crore has been proposed for projects aimed at upgrading basic services for the urban poor.
Also, Rs 61.58 crore has been reserved for women-oriented schemes.
The PCMC civic body is expected to bring in a revenue of Rs 5,841.96 crore during the financial year 2024-25 while expecting its expenditure to stand at Rs. 5,832 crores.
Among different civic departments, the highest expenditure of Rs 1,771 crore has been recommended for building permission and unauthorized construction control department.
Besides, Rs. 1,399 crores have been assigned to the general administration department.
Key Highlights of the Budget
- Rs. 1,863 crores for various development projects
- Rs. 190 crores assigned for running Eight Zonal Offices
- Rs. 65 crores 21 lakhs allocated for program serving the disabled
- Rs. 1,898 crores for programs uplifting the urban poor
- Rs. 1,031 crores 79 lakhs for carrying out special construction schemes.
- Rs. 61 crores 58 lakhs for women-oriented programs
- Rs. 269 crores 89 lakhs for PMPML
- Rs. 269 crores 89 lakhs for water supply scheme
- Rs. 50 crores allotted for the Smart City Project.
- Rs. 100 crores allotted for land acquisition.
The outlay of Budget Allocated Funds
- Planning and Regulation: Rs.153.24 crores
- General Administration: Rs. 1,399.52 crores
- Sanitation & Solid Waste Management: Rs. 530.40 crores
- Public Works: Rs. 1,771.77 crores
- Heath Department: Rs. 391.55 crores
- Revenue Expenditure: Rs. 130.06 crores
- Urban Poverty Alleviation & Social Welfare: Rs. 209.05 crores
- Urban Forestry: Rs. 280.73 crores
- Civic Facilities: Rs. 661.43 crores
- Other Services: Rs. 304.23 crores.
Since, March 13, 2022, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has been under administrative rule.
Chief Accounts and Finance Officer Praveen Jain presented the budget on Tuesday to Administrator Shekhar Singh which was swiftly approved.