To implement budget from April 1 without approval from the new standing committee While the state government has put on hold the civic budget declaration till a new standing committee is formed,civic officials said the annual budget for 2012-13 is Rs 1,800 crore the highest in the history of Pimpri-Chinchwad. The budget envisages no tax hike,and the thrust would be on water supply augmentation and construction of roads in merged villages,say civic officials. In a first,the annual civic budget has made a special provision for environment. Meanwhile,the PCMC administration has decided to implement the new budget from April 1 without getting approval of the new standing committee. Municipal Commissioner Asheesh Sharma said he would invoke special provisions of the BPMC Act to enforce the implementation of the budget. Since the standing committee is not likely to be formed before next month and the budget implementation has to start from the new financial year,I have decided to invoke special powers to enforce the implementation of budget, Sharma told Indian Express on Sunday. After the civic elections,the state government had passed an order restraining the outgoing standing committee of taking any financial decisions. Civic officials said the budget which is likely to be the civic chiefs last before he gets transferred has stressed on the consolidation of water supply of the civic body. This includes maintenance and upkeep of existing assets and water leak detections, officials said,and added the budget put emphasis on looking for alternative sources of water. Since the Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has said the civic bodies should have their own dams,the civic body will explore new sources of water supply, officials said. Commissioner Sharma from the onset had put emphasis on environment. This resulted in his decision to have an environment budget within the main budget this year. There is a different section under which the provision for environment budget has been made, officials said. The implementation of the environment budget will the look out of the health department. It has a provision of Rs 45 crore. This is the first time the main budget will have a separate section for the environment. The budget will have different provisions for solid waste management and for maintenance of sewage treatment plant, officials said. The budget has brought cheer to villages merged within the civic limits. The civic body will put its best foot forward for laying insfrastructure,especially,setting up of roads. Each merged village will have at least two new roads, senior officials said. On the health front,civic officials said the budget envisages extension of health card scheme to other civic hospitals. The health card for all scheme was introduced in the last years budget. It was applicable only to civic-run YCM Hospital. From the new financial year,it would be made applicable in seven other civic hospitals, official said. Another important aspect of the budget is that it is looking at introduction of a Heath Policy Unit. According to officials,the Health Policy Unit will analyse the statistical data of various diseases,infections and persons affected by the diseases and infections in the town. The data available will help the civic body in formulating a health policy for the entire town, said officials. Civic officials said the budget envisages operationalising of Bus Rapid Transit System. On the metro front,the budget has made no provisions,but officials said they were awaiting the state government stand on whether it should be underground or elevated. After the state government decides its stand,necessary provisions will be made, officials said. The budget will go before the new standing committee when it is formed.
