No major projects in Rs 3,290-cr estimate

“Our focus is sustainable growth. We don’t want to give lip service on protection of environment but really try to deliver through improvement of public transport,water supply system,sewage treatment and solid waste management,” said Pathak at a press conference after tabling the budget estimate in the standing committee.

The civic administration had submitted Rs 2,984.55 crore budget estimate in 2011-12 which was raised to Rs 3,247 crore by the PMC general body. This year,Pathak said it will be difficult to raise the amount unless steps are taken to increase revenue.

“The civic administration achieved 68 per cent of budget expenditure by January end and 40 per cent was on capital works,” he said.

For 2012-13,capital expenditure has been reduced by around Rs 300 crore to Rs 1,602 crore. He said priority would be completion of ongoing development projects rather than new projects. In 2011-12,the civic administration had adopted the same policy.

In the budget estimate,Rs 185 crore has been set aside for improving water supply with special efforts on metering,equitable distribution,reducing leakage by drawing water through closed pipeline from Khadakwasla dam till Pune Cantonment water works. Besides new filtration plants at Parvati and Vadgaon have been planned. The draft earmarks Rs 136.81 crore to enhance capacity of sewage treatment plants and ensure release of only treated water into the river.

There is Rs 70.94 crore for solid waste management. The plans include acquiring land reserved for setting up garbage processing plants at Baner,Vadgaon Khurd,Ambegaon Budhruk,Katraj,Kodhwa Budhruk and Hadapsar.

The administration plans to set 15 more biogas plants in the city. It would form a special squad to ensure proper garbage disposal and a mechanism to penalise offenders.

The health plan includes a well equipped dialysis centre in Sahakarnagar,a maternity home at Kharadi,polyclinics as Wanowrie and Kondhwa,specialty hospital in Vimannagar and a hospital in Vadgaon Budhruk.

A provision of Rs 45 crore has been made for land acquisition for projects.

To speed up building permission and simplify the process to issue completion certificate,Pathak said a visa system would be introduced.

The administration will focus on completing flyovers at Dhayari,Hadapsar gadital and Satara Road. The rent-free cycle service would be implemented in the next fiscal,he said adding there would be efforts to get the metro rail project cleared by the government. An aquarium and increasing gardens are on the agenda.

He said the estimate is lower than expected as the proposal to withdraw octroi exemption on certain goods and a move to hike some taxes were rejected by the standing committee.

“There cannot be much hike in the budget if no step to increase revenue is taken. Our effort would be to recover pending dues to increase revenue,” Pathak said.

The PMC is installing CCTVs at the octroi post and encouraging use of octroi card and introducing ECS facility,besides an escort vehicle tracking system to keep a check on octroi loss and achieving the target of Rs 1,357 crore collection. The administration also hopes to collect Rs 612 crore from property tax,Rs 546 crore from building permission and Rs 41 crore from implementation of sky signs along with financial assistance and grants from government bodies.