Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Bhopal Municipal Corporation mayor Malti Rai proposed a budget of Rs. 3,938.45 crore for 2026-27 on Monday. This is the fourth time in a row that Mayor Rai presented the budget.
"Under Section 97 (a) of the Madhya Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act 1956, the revised budget of Bhopal Municipal Corporation for the year 2025-26 and the proposed budget for the financial year 2026-27 is presented before the House," the mayor addressed the council meeting.
The predicted income and expenditure are nearly identical, with a suggested deficit of Rs.108.29 crore after assigning a 5% reserve.
The 2026-2027 budget marks around 10% increase from the previous budget of 3,611.99 crore. Earlier, a 10% hike was announced in property tax.
A significant portion has been allocated to projects under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0. Works worth Rs 582 crore are under way, including laying nearly 600 km of pipelines, construction of 36 overhead tanks and four filtration plants.
Around ₹1,050 crore has been earmarked for expanding the sewage network to cover 70% of the city and increase treatment capacity to 80%.
Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, 1,856 houses will be constructed in Rajendra Nagar and Deepdi at an estimated cost of Rs 400 crore. The Corporation has also sought land to build housing near railway stations for porters to ease commuting challenges.
Lake beautification and urban development
Key water bodies in Bhopal will undergo beautification. Rs 14.9 crore has been allocated for Upper Lake, while Lower Lake will be redeveloped under the CM Infra scheme. Shahpura Lake and Kaliasot river will also see improvement works worth Rs 9 crore and Rs 33 crore respectively.
Markets, transport and traffic reforms
The BMC plans to relocate the Navbahar Vegetable Market and develop a new commercial hub modelled on New Market near TT Nagar Stadium. Transport hubs in the old city will be shifted to Kokta to ease congestion.
To improve road safety, Rs 6.9 crore will be spent on eliminating traffic black spots and improving problematic left turns.
New projects
A museum dedicated to Guru Tegh Bahadur will be built near Roshanpura. The budget also includes Rs 6 crore for a new auditorium and Rs 5 crore for an electric crematorium in Barkhedi Khurd.
Cleanliness, parks and civic amenities
Rs 84 crore has been allocated for sanitation efforts under Swachh Survekshan. The budget also sets aside Rs 5 crore for parks, Rs 3 crore for statues and Rs 30 crore for street lighting across major roads.
Social welfare and cultural initiatives
Incentives for meritorious children of civic employees have been increased to Rs 15,000. A new fund will support employees injured on duty.
The city will also host a Jheel Mahotsav with a Rs 3 crore allocation to promote tourism and culture.
