Shinde’s poll push: Schemes named after Bal Thackeray, Anand Dighe

Named after Shinde’s mentor Anand Dighe, the civic body has introduced the new ‘Dharmaveer Anand Dighe Divyang Financial Assistance scheme’ under which an allocation of Rs 111.83 crores for persons with physical disabilities has been made. As a part of the scheme, the BMC will provide financial assistance to 59,115 specially-abled persons (UDID card holders), who are above the age of 18 years. While a half yearly assistance of Rs. 6,000 will be allocated to yellow card holders (40 – 50 per cent disabled), Rs. 18,000 will be given to persons with over 80 per cent disability.

Meanwhile, the budget also announced the ‘Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Urban Greening Project’ under which the BMC eyes to plant nearly 5 lakh bamboo plants across Mumbai. While the hunt for locations is still underway, the civic body has already zeroed in on one location along the Eastern Express Highway between Bhandup and Kannawar, wherein a plantation of 8,100 plants is being created along a 3 km-long stretch.

Furthermore, the fiscal budget also seeks to start 54 “Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Aapla Dawakhana” in addition to the existing 202 ones.

Following the budget presentation, municipal commissioner and state appointed administrator, Iqbal Singh Chahal also announced a new ‘Chief Minister’s Zero Prescription Policy’, which upon being implemented in all civic hospitals, promises to provide medication to all people within Mumbai’s jurisdiction, without a prescription. BMC has allocated Rs. 500 crore for the provision, which according to civic officials is a first-of-its-kind scheme.

Speaking during the press conference, Chahal also lauded the ‘Chief Minister’s Deep Cleaning Project’ saying, “We have developed a 61-point SOP to guide this campaign. As a part of this campaign, the CM himself has taken to the streets and has been conducting deep cleaning on weekends.”

Meanwhile, several projects targeted at economically weak and marginalised sections of the society found a key place in the civic budget.

The budget has announced financial assistance for 1,600 self-help groups and Rs 1 lakh per year will be given to each group. According to Chahal, the programme will benefit two lakh women in the city.

In a bid to provide further financial assistance for women, the BMC has allocated a gender budget where one lakh women will be provided with equipment like sewing machines to help them with self employment opportunities.