The annual budget for 2023-24 of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will be presented in the second week of February, civic body officials said Monday.
“The budget preparation is underway. We are taking into consideration the suggestions made by the residents as well. The budget will include Smart City works, Amrut Yojana, and Swachh Bharat Mission. It will also give emphasis on the completion of the ongoing projects,” said Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh during an interaction with reporters.
Singh said his top priority would be on parking issues, which would help in reducing the traffic chaos in the city. “To reduce the growing traffic congestion in the city in view of the rising vehicular population, we have decided to increase parking lots and make more parking facilities available,” he said.
Singh would be presenting his first PCMC budget after taking charge last year.
Singh is also the administrator of PCMC after the civic body was dissolved on March 13, 2022. The elections to the civic body are likely to be held this year. In the absence of corporators, the Singh-led administration is taking all the decisions including running the standing committee.
The budget, he said, will also focus on several aspects such as health, environment, river pollution, roads, sports and PM Awas Yojana.
“Our efforts will be to make available basic amenities to the citizens. We will start Jijau Clinics and set up dental departments in all hospitals,” he said.
On the rising pollution of rivers passing through the city, Singh said the administration will lay emphasis on the completion of the River Improvement Plan.
The PCMC chief said his administration would accord priority to road works in Ravet and Kiwale. “We will also be completing the road from Charholi to Lohegaon airport. It will also have a grade separator,” he said.
The administration would be strengthening the existing sports facilities and setting up new facilities. “We are setting up an advanced badminton court in Wakad and completely transforming the Annasaheb Magar sports complex,” the Municipal Commissioner said.
Among the road projects, the budget will focus on Bhakti-Shakti Chowk, Mukai Chowk, and Kiwale BRTS Road, the work of the bridge connecting Khadki Bazaar to Bopkhel, and the railway bridges connecting Pimprigaon to Pune-Mumbai highway, Nigdi to Bhosari Spine Road and Kalewadi Phata to Chikhali Road, he said.
The PCMC chief said the budget would also focus on a bio-mining project at the Moshi garbage depot, generating gas from hotel waste, waste-to-energy project and completion of the Chikhli water treatment plant.
