Ahead of civic polls, SMC budget increased by Rs 708cr

Surat: Surat Municipal Corporation's (SMC) Standing Committee chairman Rajan Patel on Saturday presented a revised civic budget of Rs 11,301 crore, increasing the proposed expenditure allocation by Rs 708 crore across capital and revenue heads.The revised budget is higher than the earlier draft estimate of Rs 10,593 crore, which was presented by municipal commissioner M Nagarajan, with additional funds now earmarked for multiple civic initiatives."Widow women who are already registered with the government for other schemes may get the benefit of property tax exemption. To encourage senior citizens to take advantage of bus services, a free pass facility will be started," Patel said, adding that the move will provide a safer transport option for senior citizens.To promote the "Vocal for Local" concept, the standing committee proposed setting up Surat Haat Bazaars, with each haat estimated to cost Rs 10 crore. The haat bazaars will provide a platform for locally made products, create business and employment opportunities, and also serve as a tourist attraction.The revised budget also includes the purchase of three water bowsers of 38-kilolitre capacity, costing Rs 10 crore. "Surat is leading in the country in buying water bowsers of this size. This will ensure better firefighting in case of a major fire in textile markets and industries. It will enable fire teams to spray water without interruption," Patel said. SMC will also procure 100 wireless sets for Surat Fire and Emergency Services (SFES).In another move, retired government employees will be hired to manage SMC community halls on a fixed monthly salary of Rs 25,000.Ahead of the municipal elections, East Zone-B (Sarthana) received the highest increase in allocation, with an additional Rs 119 crore — nearly three times higher than the next biggest hike of Rs 36.55 crore for North Zone (Katargam). Sarthana zone's allocation was raised from Rs 241 crore in the draft budget to Rs 359 crore in the revised budget. The other eight zones are expected to receive allocations of around Rs 200 crore or less, except Sarthana.Officials said Sarthana, which largely comprises the city's outskirts, is still in the early stages of infrastructure development, making higher allocation necessary.