Rajesh Narvekar, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) commissioner, announced an INR 4,950 crore surplus budget for 2024–25 on Tuesday, February 20. This marks the fourth year in a row that the budget does not require general body approval, since no municipal elections have happened since 2020.
The budget's highlight is the continuation of no tax increases. This has been held for the past 24 years. It was earlier pledged by Ganesh Naik, former minister and current Airoli MLA.
The budget, termed a "practical and welfare budget" by the commissioner, emphasises sanitation, ecology, transportation, and social welfare, along with health and education.
Narvekar assured the completion of ongoing projects without compromising quality. The long-awaited Ghansoli-Airoli Creek Bridge is among them. Upcoming projects include new electric buses, Swacchata Park, and fire infrastructure upgrades.
The LIDAR scan initiated by NMMC has identified unrecorded properties. This has helped exceed the INR 800 crore property tax target this fiscal year, expected to rise to INR 900 crore next year.
Narvekar acknowledged the city's water scarcity and reports of MIDC transferring water to other cities. He confirmed, "Water is being shared with other cities for infrastructure development." By the end of the next fiscal year, tertiary treatment plants in Navi Mumbai are expected to supply about 40 mld of treated water to industries.
Narvekar addressed pollution concerns, stating that NMMC has procured dust-suppression vehicles and multifunctional sprayers. He added, "We plan to convert crematories into electric, CNG, and PNG ones. Air-quality systems have been installed, and green nets have been made compulsory at construction sites."
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