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Shimla MC budget: House passes a Rs 688-crore annual budget for FY 2026-27 in the absence of the Opposition
Other BJP councillors including, Asha Sharma, Kamlesh Mehta, Kalyan Dhiman, Rachna Jhinna, Nisha Thakur and Meena Chauhan alleged that he was presenting the budget in an “unconstitutional” manner. They also argued that his original term had ended on November 5, 2025, and that the ordinance enabling the extension had lapsed.
Shimla MC passes ₹688-crore 2026-27 budget amid BJP walkout; councillors question Mayor Surinder Chauhan’s tenure extension and call proceedings unconstitutional.(Credit: Shimla MC)
The Shimla Municipal Corporation on Friday passed a Rs 688-crore annual budget for the financial year 2026-27 after BJP councillors walked out of the House, raising slogans against Mayor Surinder Chauhan and questioning the legality of his tenure’s extension.
Soon after the mayor began reading his budget speech, Bittu Kumar, Saroj Thakur and Kusum Thakur demanded that the mayor produce the government notification confirming his tenure extension. Other BJP councillors including, Asha Sharma, Kamlesh Mehta, Kalyan Dhiman, Rachna Jhinna, Nisha Thakur and Meena Chauhan alleged that he was presenting the budget in an “unconstitutional” manner. They also argued that his original term had ended on November 5, 2025, and that the ordinance enabling the extension had lapsed.
After staging a walkout, the councillors met Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap and submitted a memorandum against the mayor’s continuation in office.
On October 25 last year, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Cabinet approved the extension of the tenure of mayors and deputy mayors of municipal corporations from two-and-a-half years to five years. The decision benefited Surinder Chauhan and Deputy Mayor Uma Kaushal — both elected in July 2023.
The BJP councillors cited the Himachal Pradesh Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which was passed in the Vidhan Sabha’s winter session. However, it has not yet received assent from Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla. The Bill was again passed during the ongoing Budget session and sent for the Governor’s consent.
Chauhan told The Indian Express that the protest was a “political propaganda”, and the matter was sub judice. The Opposition should have participated in a “historic” Rs 688-crore surplus budget, up from Rs 188 crore last year. He said the increase in the budget size was largely due to scheme-based funding.
Surinder Chauhan is an elected councillor from Chotta Shimla Ward, which was once represented by Sukhu.
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The Asian Development Bank has sanctioned Rs 66 crore for the construction of a world-class wellness centre, for which 87 bighas of land were procured near Tara Devi in Shimla. The mayor also announced Rs 34 crore for the development of a municipal colony.
Among welfare measures, Chauhan said health employees of the civic body would be provided an insurance cover of Rs 40 lakh in case of death, with the premium to be borne annually by the corporation. He also announced that sanitary napkins would be made available in all public toilets and feeding rooms for lactating mothers would be set up at Ridge and Mall Road.
Food vans will be allotted at 26 identified locations, while e-carts will be introduced in the core area to reduce congestion. Parking facilities will be developed in every ward. Additionally, 15,000 deodar and fruit-bearing saplings will be planted within municipal limits as part of a tree rejuvenation drive funded through the corporation’s own resources, he said.
In MC Shimla, the Congress has a majority with 24 councillors followed by nine councillors of the BJP and the CPI (M) has one councillor.
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