No new infra projects in MCD budget, focus on 'self-reliance'

A quarter of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's 16,683 crore municipal budget for the financial year 2024-25 has been allocated to the sanitation sector, according to proposals presented by municipal commissioner Gyanesh Bharti on Saturday before a special meeting of the House of councillors.

- Paras Singh

No new large-scale infrastructure was announced by the commissioner and the budget emphasised completion of the ongoing projects and consolidation of its financial health.

Bharti said: “After the unification of the Delhi municipal corporation last year, our emphasis is on consolidating and strengthening it. We want it to become self-reliant. Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is increasing its revenue collection and we have collected the highest ever property tax in MCD’s history with significant jumps in collections of other departments.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) termed the budget “unconstitutional” and “anti-people”.

At 25.14%, sanitation took the largest chunk of the budget allocation followed by the general administration and salary expenses at 20.84%, the education sector at 18.64%, public health at 12.36% and 4.17% on repayment of the civic body’s loans.

Bharti has proposed to keep the existing property tax structure unchanged but the budget document reiterated the intent to impose a “professional tax” on trades/professions subject to approval from the city government. To be sure, similar proposals to impose new taxes in the past years have not been cleared by the elected wing.