Coimbatore Mayor tables Rs 140 crore deficit budget, no major projects
COIMBATORE: Marking a total revenue of Rs 4,617 crore and a total expenditure of Rs 4,757 crore, the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) tabled a deficit budget of Rs 140 crore for FY 2025-26.
The civic body has hit a hat trick this year, repeating the same old schemes without taking steps to implement them.
The CCMC’s annual budget was tabled by Mayor K Ranganayaki, along with CCMC Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran. Despite being the last budget session ahead of the state legislative assembly elections next year, no major new projects were announced.
The councillors were provided with a dedicated budget kit during the session. The kit included a book with the major announcements made by the mayor, a detailed book on the budget including revenue & expenditure, a wall clock, a note pad, a pen and a folder.
Most councillors left the budget debate session citing a minister’s visit. Zonal committee and standing committee chairpersons spoke in praise for the budget and the projects announced. The mayor and commissioner did not talk about projects announced in the last budget session and their current status.
The CCMC repeated old projects in its announcements during this year, including an aviary at VOC zoo, a multilevel car parking facility at Gandhipuram, streetlights across the city, construction of new modern bus stops, a dialysis centre, upgradation of slaughterhouses, link roads, scheme roads, development works at Sengulam waterbody, establishment of e-charging stations in the city, installing street boards along with ward numbers.
When ward 15 councillor Shanthamani of INC questioned about the status of projects announced in previous budget sessions, the commissioner said that it can be discussed in detail in a separate meeting.
The civic body has increased ward funds from Rs 50 to Rs 55 lakh. However, many councillors pointed out that the Greater Chennai Corporation had increased it to Rs 60 lakh and the fund hike by CCMC was insufficient. They also demanded the fund be raised to Rs 1 crore, considering development works that need to be taken up in all 100 wards.