Urban News

PIMPRI-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Asheesh Sharma presented a draft budget of Rs 2188.65 crore for 2010 –2011 before the standing committee on Tuesday. The budget laid emphasis on completion of

JNNURM projects and decentralisation of the power.

Sharma announced a budget outlay which includes an expenditure of Rs 1003.89 crore on JNNURM works. The PCMC budget has increased by Rs 121 crore as compared to last year. The tax hike of eight per cent will also be implemented in 2010 – ‘11.

The PCMC has decided to give priority to development works like water supply, roads, sewage treatment plants education in the budget. It will also adopt the build, operate and transfer (BOT) route on completing many projects, in a bid to save on capital expenditure.

In the past two years, the octroi collection could not meet its target due to recession in the industry. Also, PCMC coffers were drained due to huge amount of expenditure on development projects being implemented under JNNURM prompting it to increase taxes by eight per cent to get additional revenue. Sharma presented the budget copy to standing committee chairman Dnyaneshwar Bhalerao at the meeting where the members demanded that they needed to study the budget.

The meeting was adjourned till Friday. Sharma said PCMC revenues were not rising as financial requirements had increased. The expenditure on salaries of staff, public hospitals, water and electricity bills were also increasing. I

In 2010 – 2011, PCMC would make renewed efforts to recover octroi, property tax, building permission fees. It would also appoint agencies to do a water audit to keep track on water wastage in the city.