Pune: The general body approved Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s annual budget of Rs 9,332.17 crore around midnight on Tuesday after a marathon 12-hour debate, with the final outlay reflecting an increase of Rs 414 crore and the inclusion of nearly 1,100 suggestions to the draft presented on Feb 28.During the debate, corporators cutting across party lines came down heavily on the administration over PCMC’s deteriorating financial health, blaming it on the period of administrative rule. Besides, they alleged corruption during that time and demanded a thorough inquiry.Opposition leader Bhausaheb Bhoir said, “In 2016, the civic body had fixed deposits worth Rs 4,844 crore. Had they been preserved, the amount would have grown to nearly Rs 10,000 crore now. He said the civic body was now facing liabilities of nearly Rs 7,000 crore for various projects, as per details submitted to the Bombay Stock Exchange while raising Rs 200 crore through green bonds last year.In the revised budget, each corporator has been allocated Rs 10 lakh for development works in their respective wards. Standing committee chairman Abhishek Barne said the civic body would prioritise strengthening its revenue streams, particularly by speeding up construction-related permissions. “Increasing building permission department’s revenue will help fund development works across the city,” he said.The budget places strong emphasis on improving revenue through multiple channels. The civic administration had projected Rs 750 crore in revenue from building permissions in the draft budget. Barne said this figure could rise by Rs 258 crore, as issues related to environmental clearances and land measurement, which had slowed down projects last year, were expected to be resolved soon. “In 2021-22 (last budget before administrative rule kicked in), PCMC had earned Rs 1,000 crore through building permissions, and we expect to reach similar numbers in 2026-27,” he said.The standing committee chairman said the sky sign department was expected to generate around Rs 34 crore via revised hoarding rates. “Nearly Rs 120 crore is pending in water supply dues. If an amnesty scheme similar to the one offered for property tax is introduced, we could recover at least Rs 20 crore in the coming financial year,” Barne said.The civic body has also listed ambitious projects worth nearly Rs 140 crore in the budget. While not all of them have secured funding, their inclusion will enable swift execution once financial arrangements are in place. Around Rs 40 crore has been allocated for the long-delayed Pavana closed pipeline project.Barne said Rs 25 crore had been earmarked for the proposed Ajit Pawar memorial at the new administrative building premises, with Rs 5 crore allocated for the current financial year. Leader of the house Prashant Shitole emphasised the need to enhance revenue from water supply. “There are about 7.5 lakh properties in the city but only 1.83 lakh water connections. Even accounting for shared connections in housing societies, the number should be at least 4.5 lakh. This gap suggests a significant number of illegal connections,” he said.
