Pune: A stormy debate unfolded in the Pune Municipal Corporation’s general body meeting on Wednesday over the ₹15,669 crore budget for 2026–27, with sharp exchanges between the ruling BJP and opposition members.
The budget, presented a day earlier by Standing Committee Chairman Shrinath Bhimale, was hailed by BJP corporators as a visionary roadmap for the city’s overall development. However, opposition leaders criticised it, alleging biased fund allocation and neglect of key civic issues.
Ruling party members defended the budget, stating that it focuses on planned and inclusive development. Corporators Varsha Tapkir, Swarada Bapat and Kalpana Bahirat welcomed the decision to grant a 50% property tax rebate for women, calling it a landmark move. Harshavardhan Mankar supported the proposal to name the urban poor scheme after the late Ajit Pawar.
Corporators Puneet Joshi and Nivedita Ekbote said the budget, based on the “Pune First” concept, presents a clear blueprint for the city’s growth. Surendra Pathare termed initiatives like ‘missing link’ roads and the road adoption scheme as positive steps to ease traffic congestion. Mansi Deshpande highlighted that the proposed multi-speciality cancer hospital in Baner would significantly strengthen the healthcare infrastructure. Archana Patil welcomed plans to build 100 new public toilets for women and introduce ‘pink rooms’ in schools.
On the environmental front, the administration has set a target of planting 50 lakh trees. Corporator Subhash Nanekar suggested afforestation on hills to prevent encroachments.
Meanwhile, opposition members raised concerns over the lack of transparency and questioned several provisions in the budget. Congress corporator Sahil Kedari rejected claims of no tax hike, alleging an indirect increase through water charges. He also pointed out recurring road digging and errors in property records.
Haji Gafur Pathan accused the ruling party of favouring its own wards with massive funding while discriminating against opposition areas. Sunil Shinde expressed concern over the neglect of 10,500 contractual workers, demanding bonuses and incentives for them. Rakesh Kamthe sought clarity on hill conservation, pending works on the Katraj-Kondhwa road and the proposed tunnel project.
With both sides firm on their positions, the debate is expected to intensify in the coming days, with possible revisions to the budget likely to be discussed in upcoming meetings.
