Vadodara: The annual budget meeting of the general board of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) will begin on Feb 17, during which councillors will deliberate on the proposed Rs 7,671.21 crore budget cleared by the standing committee last week.The standing committee’s proposal is higher than the Rs 7,609.63 crore budget originally presented by the VMC administration. Sources said the budget discussion is expected to continue for three days in the general board.Apart from budget deliberations, the annual meeting has traditionally served as a platform for councillors to raise civic issues that may not be part of the budget. The opposition, in particular, looks forward to the session as it provides ample time to corner the ruling party.This year, the meeting is expected to witness heightened political drama as it will be the last budget session before the civic elections. The term of the current board ends on March 10.The VMC secretariat had also invited suggestions and amendments from councillors, with most of the proposals reportedly submitted by opposition members.
