Nagpur: Standing committee chairperson Shivani Dani on Friday said the civic body is exploring new revenue streams while also emphasising the need to increase capital expenditure on core infrastructure to strengthen long-term Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) income. According to her, investments in roads, water supply, electricity, sewerage and solid waste management — the five core civic services — will not only enhance public amenities but also generate long-term financial returns for the corporation.Addressing media after municipal commissioner Vipin Itankar presented the 2026–27 budgetary proposals before the standing committee, Dani said the estimates placed by the administration will now undergo detailed scrutiny before arriving at any revisions.Dani said the civic body is exploring additional revenue avenues. One of the key options under consideration is the levy of professional tax, which municipal corporations are permitted to impose under provisions of Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act. She said the standing committee will seek allocation of professional tax revenue from the state govt, which could potentially generate around Rs110 crore annually for the civic body.“The budget presented by the commissioner provides a framework of expected income and expenditure. The standing committee, and later the general body, will examine it in detail before taking a final call on any changes,” she said.“I will be travelling to Mumbai on March 17 to meet CM Devendra Fadnavis and follow up with the state govt regarding professional tax, entertainment duty and release of pending funds,” Dani said.The standing committee is also examining other potential sources such as entertainment duty, which is pending since 2017, and recovery of municipal dues. Dani said the civic administration will pursue these issues with the state govt in the coming days.She also pointed out that around Rs550 crore from the state govt are pending under various heads for the civic body and efforts will be made to ensure the funds are released at the earliest.Dani highlighted the need to streamline management of civic assets. The NMC plans to undertake GIS mapping and a comprehensive asset audit of municipal properties through the estate department to identify all civic assets and improve revenue collection from leases and other sources.“Several municipal properties currently lack complete records. Once GIS mapping and asset audits are carried out, the corporation will be able to properly identify these assets and improve revenue generation,” she said.Meanwhile, Dani and ruling party leader Narendra Borkar said the standing committee approved a proposal to purchase vehicles worth Rs1.2 crore for the mayor, municipal commissioner and other officials, stating that the procurement is in accordance with state govt norms.The standing committee will now examine the proposed budget in detail over the coming weeks before placing the revised estimates before the NMC general body for approval.
