Varanasi: Ahead of the 2027 assembly polls, the BJP-led house of Varanasi Municipal Corporation has approved a budget of Rs 2,575 crore to transform the internal roads of the city. Apart from giving a green signal to the estimated budget for the financial year 2026-27 to strengthen the city’s internal infrastructure, VMC has also made it clear that FIRs will be filed if roads are dug up after reconstruction.Following Sunday’s session of the VMC house, mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari said that the estimated budget of Rs 2.575.44 crore for the financial year 2026-27 has been approved to take the city’s infrastructure to new heights. This includes an estimated budget of Rs 2,262.42 crore for the VMC and Rs 313.02 crore for the Jal Kal Department, which looks after water supply, sewage and drainage management.Major focus will be on improving roads, Tiwari said, adding that VMC has taken the haphazard digging of the lanes and roads seriously. “It has been made clear that now, if any department — be it PWD, GAIL, electricity, cable, or any other — digs up roads without permission, an FIR will be lodged against them,” he said. He mentioned that to transform the city’s appearance and provide better facilities to the public, the budget allocation for several key heads has been significantly increased this time.The VMC has boosted spending on revenue and development to fast-track projects, directly benefiting citizens. The budget focuses on public facilities and services, with notable hikes in key areasTo make the city garbage-free, a target of Rs 66.17 crore has been set under the door-to-door garbage collection and user charges head, so that the use of modern machinery in the sanitation system can be increased. Similarly, a special increase has been made in the budget for beautifying the parks and greenery. A provision of Rs 21 crore has been made under the electricity and energy head to illuminate dark lanes. After the corporators drew attention to the dilapidated condition of traditional water sources (wells), municipal commissioner Himanshu Nagpal said funds have also been allocated for cleaning and conservation of the old wells. New lights in parks, greenery, and seating arrangements will also be strengthened through this budget.Rs 313 crore has been allocated under the Jal Kal head to provide clean drinking water. Out of the total Jal Kal budget, Rs 313 crore has been allocated for the Jal Kal Department. The main focus is on repairing old tube wells, expanding new pipelines, and modernising sewer pumping stations.Considering the problem of sewer blockages in the old areas, a big chunk of the budget has been allocated under the operation and maintenance head this time. A special amount has been earmarked for the operation of sewer pumping stations and cleaning of pipelines. Additionally, funds have been increased for the maintenance of new sewer lines laid under the Amrit Yojana. The mayor warned agencies of strict action over corruption, emphasizing transparency and accountability. Plans are underway to improve VMC’s finances, including changing payment processes for waste collection to ensure better resource use.
