NMC Aims Infra Push With 6,500Cr Budget

Nagpur: After 4 years of administrator rule at Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), standing committee chairperson Shivani Dani-Wakhare is set to present civic body's Budget on May 19, with size of the financial plan likely to swell to nearly 6,500 crore, according to sources in the civic body. The Budget will be presented in a special general body meeting.The last elected standing committee Budget was presented in 2021-22 by then chairman Prakash Bhoyar, with an outlay of 2,796.07 crore. Since imposition of administrator rule in March 2022, NMC Budget has witnessed a sharp jump, crossing 5,000-crore mark in recent years.In March this year, municipal commissioner Vipin Itankar proposed a 5,857-crore Budget for 2026-27, projecting revenue of 5,541.31 crore and expenditure of 5,840.65 crore. However, sources said the standing committee is likely to revise the outlay upward by nearly 1,000 crore before placing it before the general body.Agenda for the meeting will be issued soon, said a source, adding Budget will be tabled before the special general body on Tuesday (May 19), and discussion on the same will be held on May 21.Officials indicated that the proposed expansion would largely hinge on expected state govt funding. Apart from special grants from the state govt, the civic body is banking on nearly 900 crore for Phase-V of the cement concrete road project and another 250 crore for beautification of gardens and development of playgrounds with the help of Maha govt.Sources said the standing committee may push for strengthening NMC's own revenue generation mechanisms. Among proposals under discussion are introduction of fresh advertisement-related charges, permitting small-format hoardings at designated locations, and revision of existing advertisement board fees. Civic officials believe augmentation of non-tax revenue will become crucial as expenditure commitments continue to rise.The administration has already indicated revision in property tax and advertisement charges is under consideration, though no proposal has yet been formally incorporated into the draft Budget, and any such move would require approval from the standing committee and the general body. However, the Budget may not introduce any property tax revision. Last property tax revision was in 2015.Despite ambitious projections, officials admitted revenue realisation remains a concern. For 2025-26 financial year, NMC is unlikely to meet even its revised revenue targets, sources said. Recovery of dues continues to remain a challenge, with property tax arrears already crossing 900 crore and pending water charges exceeding 300 crore.The Budget is expected to focus heavily on roads, water supply, sanitation, health services and infrastructure creation, while also exploring borrowing options such as municipal bonds and bank loans to finance capital-intensive projects.