There is very little chance that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will announce any new projects in the civic budget for 2025-26. The civic body is focused on the completion of ongoing mega projects. The BMC will also withdraw funds from its fixed deposits to meet financial demands. According to sources, senior officials decided to focus on current projects, with more than Rs 1 lakh crore worth of projects being approved.
However, there is a possibility that BMC will announce development of transport hubs in place of octroi nakas (already on the cards). Civic chief Bhushan Gagrani will table the civic budget today. mid-day reported on Monday (January 3) that BMC has its hands full with mega projects and its fixed deposits have also dwindled over the past 4 years to Rs 81,000 crore.
Senior officials confirmed that BMC will not take on new projects in the next fiscal. “We have decided to start the already approved Versova-Dahisar Link Road project and the Dahisar-Mira-Bhayandar Link Road project in the next financial year. Also, we need permission from all ministries and authorities for the Gargai dam…,” an official said.
According to the official, there are sufficient ongoing projects for Mumbai. “If we plan anything new for the city, it will be a financial burden as well as a burden on human resources. Roads, water projects, and sewage treatment projects will be the focus for the next financial year. A portion of the fixed deposits has been reserved for these projects and will be used accordingly.”
In the current financial year (2024-25), BMC withdrew around Rs 10,000 crore from its fixed deposits to cover project costs. The civic body also took an internal loan of Rs 10,000 crore, which means the fund allocation for some projects will be reduced and the project may be withdrawn.
“The focus is to complete ongoing projects within the timeline. We have already taken up the concreting of 900 km of roads. Of that, 35 per cent of the first phase of 397 km has been completed. The first phase will be completed by the end of 2025, while the remaining 400 km work will be completed in 2027. Also, we will focus on a ‘zero prescription’ policy for civic hospitals, which is a long pending project in the health sector,” said a civic official.
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