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BMC Ups Water Tax, Doubles Road Spend

  • For the first time in a decade, the BMC on Tuesday presented a pragmatic budget by increasing taxes on water and sewerage by up to 58% while allocating Rs 9,359 crore to infrastructure projects.The Rs 26,581 crore civic budget - larger than the outlays of some of the smaller Indian states - has doubled the allocation to augment the city's road network and added over 800 beds in municipal hospitals. Some of the highlights:

  • Rs 800 crore for concreting 241 km of roads;

  • City to receive additional 455 million litres of water daily from July;

  • Rs 263 crore allocated for development of open spaces;

  • 807 additional beds in 20 civic hospitals;

  • Rs 50 crore for widening Mithi river;

  • 90 m snorkel for the fire brigade at a cost of Rs 15 crore;

  • 20,000 new litter bins for 10,000 locations;

  • Virtual classrooms to be extended to 400 civic schools;

  • Development of an estuarine park near Mahim creek;

  • The BMC estimates an income of Rs 26,581 crore this year and plans to spend Rs 26,474 crore.

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