Mumbai Buzz: BMC’s ambitious budget | New suburban railway corridor | Second phase COVID-19 vaccination…and more

BMC's ambitious budget, second phase of vaccinaton and fire in Mankhurd

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Unveils Budget 

The Mumbai civic body presented an ambitious budget of Rs 39,038.38 crore. BMC has experienced a dip in its revenue due to COVID-19 induced lockdown. But its budget was 16.74% more than last year’s Rs 33,441.02 crore budget. BMC’s capital expenditure is also increased by a whopping 71% at ₹18,750.99 crore. BMC plans to earn through property tax, sewage tax, interests from investments, state grants, among others. Although capital expenditure has gone up by around Rs 5,000 crore, BMC has slashed its garden and parks budget by 50%, Mumbai Mirror reported. 

Source: Hindustan Times, Mumbai Mirror

Union Budget gives Mumbai’s transport a boost 

The Union budget has allocated Rs 650 crore for railway projects under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP). Hindustan Times reported that critical railway projects under MUTP include a new suburban railway corridor between Panvel and Karjat railway stations, communication-based train control system(CBTC), procurement of 47 air-conditioned (AC) local trains, quadrupling of the railway line between Virar and Dahanu railway station, elevated railway corridor between Airoli and Kalva railway stations, and control on midsection trespassing.

Source: Hindustan Times

Mumbai local train. Photo: Darshak Pandya, Pexels

Second vaccination phase underway in Mumbai

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) started the second phase of the vaccination drive in which policemen, firemen and civic officials will be vaccinated. 58 frontline workers were vaccinated on Thursday, 4 February. BMC said technical glitches in the Co-WIN app meant few received notifications of the trial run for frontline workers. Dr Mangala Gomare, chief of BMC’s public health department, said walk-in vaccination would be started soon for frontline workers to increase turnout, according to Hindustan Times.

Source: Hindustan Times 

Another fire breaks out in Mankhurd 

On 5th February, a major fire broke out in Mankhurd. India Today reported that scrap material collected in Mankhurd caught fire and several water tankers rushed to the spot to douse the fire. Huge plumes of black smoke were seen billowing out of the area as the fire raged. Fire brigade officials called it a Level 3 blaze. 

Source: India Today

BMC wants to become Mumbai’s solitary planning body

Multiple authorities such as Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) and Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) are involved in the development of Mumbai city. Indian Express reported that BMC does not have any control over these authorities and their development works despite the fact that it provides all infrastructure facilities such as water supply, sewerage facility, roads, street lights and solid waste management in their areas. BMC believes that it is one of the reasons citizens are unable to get solutions because of multiple planning authorities. “As such, it is felt necessary and advisable that MCGM should be the Single Planning Authority which will facilitate speedy development and also solve the problems with regard to infrastructural facilities of citizens residing in these layouts, under one roof,” IS Chahal, BMC chief said while presenting the civic body’s annual budget.

Source: Indian Express

60,000 kids in Mumbai don’t have access to online learning: BMC

Over 60,000 students across the city still do not have access to online education, data shared by the BMC education department revealed. The data shows that 50% students who are unable to join online classes do not have Android mobile phones. In addition to this, over 20,000-odd students have smartphones are unable to join online classes as they cannot afford internet.

Source: Indian Express

[Compiled by Apekshita Varshney]

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