Bhubaneswar: In a first, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) annual Budget is expected to touch Rs 700 crore. The annual Budget for financial year 2020-21 will see an increase by 51.8 per cent as compared to the previous year.
As estimated by the state’s largest urban local body, the quantum of the jump could be gauged from the fact that while during FY 2019-20 the annual outlay of the corporation was pegged at Rs 461 crore, this year it rose exponentially owing to the various socio-economic measures planned for better economic condition of the citizens of the Temple city.
According to Section 138 of Odisha Municipal Corporation (OMC) Act, 2003, preparatory work for the Budget starts before March. Thus, a preparatory meeting of Additional Commissioner – I Surath Mallick, Additional Commissioner – II Abanikanta Patnaik, Chief Finance Officer Labanya Sabar, all deputy commissioners of BMC in-charge of different departments, Zonal Deputy Commissioners, City Engineer Debasundar Mohapatra discussed all paraphernalia and decided to furnish the details and of requirements.
It is expected that all officials would be submitting their budget plan by March 15 which would be incorporated in the main Budget.
Requesting the officers to make the Budget pro-people, BMC Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary suggested the officials to consider the needs specific to their wards which would help the denizens.
“Make BMC parks people-centric so that citizens of all age groups could use the parks in their vicinity. In order to develop parks across the city within the BMC limits, resident welfare associations and self-help groups could also be roped in. In case of providing street lights within the BMC areas, repair of the old street lights and creative planning should be taken as priority,” Chaudhary said.
Moreover, the officers were also advised to include development of the various water bodies in the City which it could be tagged with the nearby communities that could also benefit from pisciculture. Development of road network within the BMC area is also set to get priority in this year’s Budget.