Pune Municipal Commissioner Rajendra Bhosale presented the annual budget for the financial year 2025-26 on Tuesday, totalling ₹12,618.09 crore. The budget focused heavily on improving road infrastructure and public transport, with a significant allocation for 33 major roads to alleviate traffic congestion. Notably, there was no hike in municipal taxes, and ₹623 crore was earmarked for the development of the 23 newly merged villages. While no new schemes were introduced, the emphasis was on maintenance and upgrading the metro network. The budget marks an increase of ₹1,017 crore over last year’s budget of ₹11,601 crore.
Meanwhile, activists claimed that despite falling short of revenue targets this year, the PMC has increased the budget outlay without introducing new sources of income or proposing a tax hike. Priority has been given to funding incomplete projects with no new projects in place, they added.
According to civic activist Vijay Kumbhar, there has been a political bias in fund allocation. He alleged that former BJP corporators and their constituencies are getting preferential treatment, leaving people with nothing. "This budget holds nothing for the taxpayers. We get only bad roads, unfinished work, garbage litter and a dirty and unhygienic environment. This budget is not at all appealing, and the life of the common people will remain the same," he added.
Mukund Vithal Bakre, an advocate who deals with taxation, said, "In the budget, the PMC proposed making of new five-star toilets for the migrants, but what about the existing toilets? The washrooms near the major bus depots and railway stations are in pathetic conditions. If you look at the Swargate bus depot, the toilets are bad. Our girls are not safe, the CCTV cameras do not work on major roads, and the roads are still under construction. We are getting nothing. We are just paying taxes."
With the court clearing the proposed Balbharati-Paud Phata (BBPP) road project construction, the PMC has allocated funds to commence work in the upcoming financial year. A total of ₹3 crore has been allocated for this project. However, activists are not happy with this.
Prajakta Divekar, a volunteer who works to save the tekdis of Pune, said, "PMC is the official guardian of the city’s natural heritage. It should be using taxpayers’ money to preserve Vetal Tekdi, not destroy it. Over 5,000 people have rallied to oppose the BBPP project and there is still massive opposition to this road. Allocating any budget to the BBPP project is a sheer waste of public money!"
Meeta Karla, a resident of Ambegaon, stated that the budget was a "disaster." "The budget is a disaster. We don't even get basic amenities like clean water and better roads. The city has been under construction for the past 10 years, and nothing seems to get completed on time. Even the metro doesn't have a good parking system. The civic body has to provide parking space near the metro stations. They say that the focus would be in newly merged villages, but there's nothing new. Last year, we were promised so many things, did we get anything? A big NO!"
Activist Vivek Velenkar said, "The budget is unnecessarily bloated. Even 70% target achievement is very difficult. Secondly, very few provisions are made for development plan implementation."
