Delay in standing committee formation may defer PCMC’s annual budget schedule

Pune: Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC)'s annual budget for 2026-27 is likely to be delayed due to non-formation of the standing committee by the newly elected civic body. The civic administration usually presents the budget on or around Feb 20 every year. However, this time the schedule is expected to be pushed back as the standing committee, comprising newly elected members before whom the budget must be tabled, is yet to be constituted.
A senior PCMC official told TOI that, as per norms, the budget must be presented before the standing committee by Feb 28. "In case there is further delay in formation of the standing committee, the administration can directly place the budget before the general body. All municipal corporations in the state are required to present their annual budgets before March 20," the official said. The civic body was under administrative rule for the past four years, during which the municipal commissioner, who also served as the administrator, presented and approved the annual budgets. During the civic election campaign, several political leaders — particularly from the NCP — alleged that the financial health of the corporation deteriorated under administrative rule. They claimed that the municipal corporation, once regarded as Asia's wealthiest civic body, slipped into debt during this period. An official from PCMC's accounts department told TOI that they had submitted a white paper on the civic body's financial position to the newly elected mayor, deputy mayor, opposition leader, and leader of the house. The official data shows that the municipal corporation currently has an outstanding debt of Rs337 crore, including loans from the World Bank, and funds raised through municipal and green bonds. The municipal corporation has been awaiting the appointment of a full-time municipal commissioner, as Shravan Hardikar, who was given additional charge of the post in Oct last year, is also serving as the head of Maha Metro. Mayor Ravi Landge, who chaired a meeting with civic officials last week to review the budget preparations, asked the administration to prioritise completion of ongoing projects rather than earmarking fresh funds for new works. "The current financial position of the civic body does not appear conducive to introducing many new projects in the annual budget. I instructed officials to focus on strengthening basic amenities such as clean water supply and healthcare services," Landge told TOI.