Nashik: The Standing Committee of the Nashik Municipal Corporation has presented the Rs 25 crore budget for the Tree Authority to the General Body in its entirety, without making any changes to the draft submitted by the Municipal Commissioner. This budget includes a provision of Rs 12.10 crore specifically for new tree plantation and tree protection.
By increasing the Municipal Corporation's original budget by Rs 457 crore, the Standing Committee revised the initial budget of Rs 3,011.85 crore to a modified figure of Rs 3,469 crore. Taking into account the anticipated increase in revenue from various sources such as property tax, water charges, and town planning fees, the Committee has allocated Rs 314 crore for ward development works to be undertaken by the corporators.
During the General Body meeting, opposition members created a major uproar, alleging discrimination in the allocation of funds. They claimed that corporators belonging to the ruling party received a disproportionately higher share of funds, while the opposition members received less. After approximately seven hours of deliberations, the Mayor announced the approval of the budget, along with the revised resolutions and sub-resolutions.
The Rs 25 crore budget for the Tree Authority Committee was also approved during the General Body meeting. The Standing Committee had not made any additional increases to this budget, which was originally proposed by the Commissioner. The General Body subsequently granted its approval to this budget.
While the impact of projects related to the Simhastha Kumbh Mela is evident in the main municipal budget, a specific provision of Rs 2.22 crore has also been made within the Tree Authority's budget to fund works associated with Simhastha. On the revenue side (expected receipts), total receipts are projected to comprise Rs 5.06 crore from Tree Fund returns, Rs 2.75 crore from additional Tree Fund returns, Rs 3.56 crore from the Tree Protection Tax, and an opening balance of Rs 13.66 crore.
Through this budget, special emphasis has been placed on enhancing greenery within Nashik city, protecting trees, and strengthening environmental initiatives. This budget is set to play a significant role against the backdrop of the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela. With the budget now approved despite objections raised by the opposition, the implementation of these schemes is expected to proceed at an accelerated pace.
