PCMC tables Rs 1,000 crore budget for 2019-20 sans tax hike

NAVI MUMBAI: The Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) commissioner, Ganesh Deshmukh, on Saturday, presented the civic budget of Rs 1, 036 crore, almost double of last year, for the financial year 2019-20 before the standing committee. It has Rs 92 lakh as surplus, based on expected revenue generation in the coming fiscal.
The budget has been prepared without any tax hike and stressed on beautification of water bodies and gardens, cleanliness of the city, road concretization, streetlights and water supply.More emphasis has been given to uplifting the 29 revenue villages with provision for new underground sewerage line and water supply connecting the system with developed pockets.

The PCMC expects a revenue of Rs 1, 036 crore and major revenue sources include GST, Finance Commission, PMAY, AMRUT besides property tax.
The administration plans to spend Rs 1, 035.08 crore. Key heads of expenditure include public works, which accounts for Rs 625 crore -over 60% of the total budget.
Deshmukh told TOI, "We have revised the property tax to give the residents a relief. For residential area, the new tax will be 38% against the previous 39% whereas 48% against 52% for commercial areas. The figure of the budget has gone up simply because we have opening balance of Rs 217 crore which amounts to 21% percent of the whole budget. The grants were not spent last year."
There is a mixed response from residents. Many termed it as an inflated budget that touched Rs 1,000cr from last year's amount of Rs 560 crore. Navade BSKP corporator Arvind Mhatre said," It's an inflated budget. The administration has failed to bring in GST and LBT shares from the government which badly affected developmental projects."
Deshmukh said. "Over 60% of the budget will be channeled for public works."
Activist Arun Bhise said, "Development of the city has never been a priority in the civic budget so far. Let's see what the new budget brings in on ground reality."
PCMC house leader Paresh Thakur said, "It seems to be a constructive budget focusing on development. But we have to study and discuss it indetail on March 3 meeting for any amendment."