KMC budget: Water supply, waste management gets major allocations

Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation Firhad Hakim presented the annual budget for Rs 5,902 crore today with a fiscal deficit of Rs 111 crore. The tabled budget includes hefty allocations emphasising infrastructure developments of water supply, drainage, waste management, roadways or even bustee improvement.

Last year estimates of the civic body’s expenditure were Rs 5639.56 crore. Post revision, the figures stood at Rs 4470.08 crore. In the next fiscal, the estimated amount announced has a hike of Rs 262.87 crore. Likewise, the municipal corporation had anticipated estimated receipts of Rs 5524.84 crore that stood revised at Rs 4348.02 crore. In the next financial year, the municipal corporation is hoping to generate estimated revenue of Rs 5524.84 crore. In the next financial year, the civic body is hoping to generate revenue of Rs 5791.43 crore while planning to spend Rs 5902.43 crore.

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As mentioned by the Mayor, while presenting the annual budget for 2026-2027, the civic body, once again has done well in property tax collection which is the main source of revenue for KMC. As learnt, the civic body has been able to collect Rs 1042 crore as property tax till 31 December, which is more than 82 per cent. The municipal corporation has also witnessed a rise in the number of property tax payers during the ongoing financial year. According to the budget data, last year, the number of recorded assessed taxpayers stood at 9.80 lakh. In the current fiscal till 31 December, the number is said to have increased to 9.99 lakh.

Notably, the tabled budget includes a huge allocation of Rs 456.894 crore for water supply with a great emphasis on water conservation by implementing measures like water rationing, reducing wastage and loss of filtered water while promoting water saving practices. According to the budget estimates, the civic body anticipates a revenue collection of Rs 90 crore from the department in the forthcoming financial year.

The solid waste management department is another wing of the KMC to have a mammoth fund allocation of more than Rs 690 crore. Planning to develop an environmentally compliant management infrastructure, the KMC is said to have acquired about 73 hectares of KMC-owned land. The parcel of land is to be used for setting up an Integrated Municipal Solid Waste Treatment and Disposal Facilities. According to the official sources, crop compensation has been paid to the affected farmers by the civic body and fencing of the acquired land in being carried out.

According to the budget statistics, the civic body has earned Rs 75 crore so far from the compost plant and Bio-CNG facility at Dhapa, compactor stations, C and D waste processing, SWM user charges and miscellaneous sources of the department. In the proposed budget, the municipal corporation hopes to generate about Rs 127 crore from these sources.