A budgetary provision of INR 52,619 crore was made by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for 2023-24. Around 15% of the total amount is being used by the authorities at the ward level. Whereas, the remaining 85% of the budget is allocated for major maintenance works - roads, bridges and water - which goes to central agency as these services are provided by them.
The Praja Foundation, in association with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), shared these details in its December 2023 report.
The CEO of Praja Foundation, Milind Mhaske, said that a significant amount goes to the central departments and a small portion goes to the wards. If particular wards have a higher quality of life, it's because of improved civic amenities, gardens, and roads.
Thus, the foundation sought to ascertain the per capita expenditure at that level on various facilities and services, as well as how it compares to other wards and the budget as a whole, said the CEO.
Wards of Mumbai receive a huge amount from BMC’s budget for various civic amenities. Some wards get the bulk of the money while the suburban wards get comparatively much less for civic amenities, and it is discriminatory, said Milind Mhaske.
There has been a steady decline in the budget's share allotted to the wards. It was 18% in 2021-2022 and then dropped to 15% in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024.
Both firms conducted the analysis based on functions like solid waste management, gardens, footpaths, markets, stormwater drains, and public health.
Explaining the reasons why the city’s wards were given major benefits from the allocated budget, Milind Mhaske said that it is done due to the floating population in the island city. However, many now commute to the western suburbs, where large offices are situated. Thus, this argument is not persuasive, he added.
The BMC started the "Participatory Budget" practice last year, and it will run through 2023–2024. Mhaske stated that to promote inclusivity, this practice should be implemented at the ward level, and citizen participation should be increased to voice their needs at the local area level. They want to involve citizens' groups in this annual exercise so they can use the budget to improve their wards, Mhaske said.
Praja and TISS suggested including data that comprises previous years’ budget estimates, revised estimates, and actual utilisation in the BMC Ward Budget Book. This should be done instead of sharing the overall BMC budget. Based on the demographic, economic, and geographic information for each of the 24 administrative wards in Mumbai city, a significant amount of the total BMC revenue spending must be distributed to each ward. This will improve accountability in the administration of the city's administrative wards and increase the efficiency with which services are provided.
Both firms said details of ‘Ward At Glance’ should be published in the Ward Budget Books. The details evaluate the status of civic amenities and the delivery of services in the respective ward projects. Some basic service-level benchmarks in terms of budget outcomes should be set in the ward budget.
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