Focus on ‘world-class’ infrastructure, SMC drafts record budget of Rs 8.7K cr
Surat and Indore jointly shared the top spot in the Swachh Bharat Survekshan 2023. The survey results served as a reminder of the city's focus on cleanliness.
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The SMC draft budget of 2024-25 has a revenue surplus of around Rs 428 crore, people aware of the matter said. (Express File Photo)Surat Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agrawal presented the 2024-25 draft budget of Rs. 8,718 crore on Monday, which is said to be the highest in the history of the civic body.
“This year’s draft budget is the highest in the history of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), and it has been made to give a world-class infrastructure in terms of social infrastructure, economic development, human development index, and also committed towards environmental sustainability, to the citizens. The draft budget had also been made keeping in mind Vikshit Bharat 2047, as Surat contributes around 30 per cent of the state GDP,” Agrawal asserted after presenting the draft budget.
In the presence of civic body officials, the SMC Commissioner addressed reporters and presented the draft budget for the year 2024-25 with no rise in property taxes. No major rise in taxes has been made in the draft budget in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, as per officials. The approved budget for 2023-24 was Rs 7,848 crore.
Talking to The Indian Express, Shalini Agrawal said, “Under the Public Private Partnership (PPP), the SMC will generate biogas from 200 metric tonnes of wet waste. Apart from this, the SMC will also generate steam from solid waste, which is used as fuel in textiles and other industries. The solid waste disposal site of the SMC at Khajod will be shut, we have identified land on the outskirts of Surat city, where a new solid liquid waste disposal site will be developed for Rs 400 crore.
For biogas and steam projects, a DPR (Detailed Project Report) will be made and work will be done on it accordingly. We have included the Tapi River barrage project, embankment walls on both the banks of the Tapi River, and water metro services where people can travel from one bank to another through water transport.” She further added, “The draft budget has been made for the holistic development of different sections of the society. It is for the first time the capital expenditure has been projected to Rs 4,121 crore, focusing on the development projects. This year, we have projected revenue income of Rs 5,000 crore against our achieved target of Rs 4,000 crore for 2023-24. We have focused on strengthening the financial capabilities by increasing income and expenditures.” The SMC draft budget of 2024-25 has a revenue surplus of around Rs 428 crore, people aware of the matter said.
Due to revenue surplus, the SMC will get more funds for development projects, they added.
Surat and Indore jointly shared the top spot in the Swachh Bharat Survekshan 2023. The survey results served as a reminder of the city’s focus on cleanliness.
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