Bhubaneswar Municipality Passed Rs 430 Crore Budget, Solid Waste Management to be a Priority Area

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) consisting of 67 Corporators passed an annual Budget of Rs430 crore for the State capital region.

Out of the major income while holding tax would yield Rs46.49 crore, advertising revenue Rs18.37 crore, trade licence Rs6.03 crore, users fee Rs19.66 crore, NOC Rs11.84 crore and parking Rs4.90 crore, grants from the State and Central Governments would amount to Rs228.89 crore.

On the contrary, major expenses would include Rs67.79 crore for municipal solid waste (MSW) management, sanitation, sweeping and transport of the MSW, establishment, salary and other expenses would be Rs77.86 crore, administrative expenses Rs7.22 crore, operation and maintenance costs Rs4.21 crore and old age pension, NULM, Ahaar and Animal Birth Control would be needing more than Rs21 crore.

Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena, while welcoming the Budget requested the Corporators to take up development commitments in their respective wards as per time schedule. Municipal Commissioner Dr Krishan Kumar called for a drainage improvement plan in coordination with all line departments as the city roads belong to PWD, BMC, and directed the Engineering Wing and Drainage Division of BMC to prepare a monsoon plan well in advance.

The Council also passed a proposal for Special Development Plan (SDP) of under-developed wards, mostly in peripheral areas of BMC. There will be two categories i.e. Category A wards, which would get a grant of Rs1 crore and Category B wards, which would receive Rs50 lakh each to expedite regional development at ward level.

While there will be six wards, i.e. Ward Nos. 4,5,18,23,49 and 65 under the first category, in the second category seven wards i.e. Ward Nos. 3,22, 44, 59, 64,66 and 67 will be included. The funds will be only used in the under-developed segments of these respective wards and would not be used elsewhere.  The list of under-developed pockets will be prepared by Zonal Deputy Commissioners (ZDC) and would be monitored by the Additional Municipal Commissioner.

For each SDP, a detailed document would be prepared by the ZDC and the Executive Engineer Concerned of BMC for that area. The special plan will be finalised for taking up BMC service improvement works on priority projects like street lighting, waste management, construction of community building (kalian mandap), park, play ground, neighbourhood market and big road or drain projects.

The council was also briefed about the ambitious Biju Yuva Bahini to motivate youth between 15 and 35 years to promote youths, sports and related activities as the original programme of Sports and Youth Services Department would be implemented in ward level through the BMC.