Thane's Ambitious Budget Targets Urban Development and Self-Reliance

The Thane Municipal Corporation unveiled a Rs 5,645 crore budget for 2025-26, prioritizing urban development and financial stability. The budget focuses on increasing revenue without introducing new taxes, and allocates funds for urban renewal, medical infrastructure, and public transport. The goal is to achieve self-reliance in the next 4-5 years.

The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has proposed a Rs 5,645 crore budget for the fiscal year 2025-26, focusing on urban development, financial stability, and citizen welfare. This announcement marks a 12.9% increase compared to last year's Rs 5,000 crore budget.

The budget, presented to Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao, who is currently the administrator, emphasizes revenue enhancement through better tax compliance rather than new taxes. Rao highlighted the aim to boost revenue by bringing unregistered or under-taxed properties into the tax net.

Significant allocations include Rs 80 crore under AMRUT 2.0 for urban renewal and Rs 132 crore for the Rajiv Gandhi Medical College. Despite the focus on development, Kedar Dighe of the Shiv Sena criticized the lack of funding for Anand Dighe's memorial, raising questions about political motivation.

(With inputs from agencies.)