Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram presented a draft budget of Rs 13,995 crore for the financial year 2026-27 before the civic standing committee on Monday. However, the budget received a mixed reaction from activists from various sectors.
Vijay Kumbhar, a civic activist, said, “While reviewing the PMC’s 2026–27 budget, a fundamental question arises: why do Pune’s basic civic problems continue despite such a large financial outlay? Year after year, big announcements are made in the name of development, but the real issues remain largely unchanged. Roads are still riddled with potholes, traffic congestion is worsening, and the water supply remains irregular and insufficient. A large budget does not automatically translate into real development. What the city truly needs are clear priorities, effective planning, and transparency in spending. Pune’s citizens now expect results, not just promises. Pothole-free roads, reliable water supply and smoother traffic will be the real measures of progress.”
Deepak Jadhav, a health activist, said, “In this year's budget, the funds allocated for health have been reduced. PMC is promoting privatisation. They informed that the cancer hospital in Baner will run on a PPP model. Similarly, a PET scan facility at Swargate will also be operational on a PPP model. So, how will people coming from economically poor backgrounds benefit or get better access to health facilities? Also, child deliveries have reduced in PMC hospitals due to a lack of staff and better health facilities. The maternity facility at Parihar Chowk in Aundh saw only one delivery in a month. Treatment has become unaffordable in private hospitals, and now even PMC-run hospitals are getting pricey and out of budget for common people.”
Ranjit Gadgil, Programme Director at Parisar, a Pune-based NGO working to promote sustainable cities, said, “Out of a Rs 14,000 crore budget, one finds an allocation of about Rs 50 crore or less than half a per cent for the environment. Given the state of the environment in the city, this is quite paltry. There is an additional Rs 126 crore allocated under the 15th Finance Commission for the NCAP, specifically to improve air quality. Whether that budget will be utilised appropriately remains to be seen. Of course, all departments also allocate budgets for various projects that are meant to improve the environment, such as sewage treatment plants, the development of gardens and the improvement of public transport. Allocation for bus fleet expansion of PMPML has been given Rs 592 crore, but so far, we have not seen any increase in on-road buses for many years. As usual, there is too much budget for unsustainable projects like flyovers, bridges, tunnels and parking, which only encourage the use of more private vehicles.”
Dilip Singh Vishwakarma, President of the Maharashtra State Parents' Association, said, “PMC presents the budget and allocates funds, but every year passes, and we do not see much change. The budget never benefits the residents. Education is never their priority. PMC schools are in a bad state. PMC is the largest corporation in the state in terms of area, and it is also a known fact that the property tax collected by PMC is among the highest. Despite that, the condition of schools is very poor. If you compare BMC schools with PMC schools, the difference is huge. BMC schools have CBSE boards and other boards too, but PMC schools have only SSC boards. The quality of education is also questionable. The budget only benefits contractors and officials. Common people just pay taxes and get nothing, not even basic facilities.”
