Nashik Mayor Approves Revised Municipal Budget of Rs 3,469 Crore for 2026-27
In a significant development for urban governance, Nashik Mayor Himgauri Aher granted approval to the revised budget of the standing committee of the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) for the financial year 2026-27. The approval was given during a special general body meeting held on Monday, with the total outlay now set at Rs 3,469.28 crore.
Budget Presentation and Approval Process
The revised budget was formally presented to Mayor Aher by standing committee chairperson Machhindra Sanap for her consent. With this approval, the standing committee's revised estimates have moved a step closer to final adoption. As per standard procedure, the mayor retains the authority to conduct further reviews before granting final approval, ensuring thorough scrutiny of the financial plan.
Background and Revisions to the Budget
Earlier, on March 2, municipal commissioner Manisha Khatri had presented the draft civic budget for 2026-27 to the standing committee. The original draft proposed a total expenditure of Rs 3,011.85 crore. Following extensive discussions and valuable suggestions from corporators, Sanap revised the estimates, resulting in an overall increase of approximately Rs 455.43 crore.
A major portion of this increase has been allocated to capital expenditure. In her draft budget, Khatri had proposed capital works worth Rs 736.96 crore. The standing committee raised this allocation by Rs 434.8 crore, bringing the total proposed capital expenditure for 2026-27 to Rs 1,171.76 crore. This enhancement is strategically intended to boost infrastructure development across all wards of the city, addressing long-standing urban needs.
Revenue expenditure has also seen revisions. The civic chief had initially proposed revenue expenses of Rs 2,273.04 crore. The standing committee increased this by Rs 22.48 crore, taking the total revenue expenditure to Rs 2,295.52 crore for the upcoming financial year.
Financial Challenges and Revenue Enhancement Strategies
During the discussions, the standing committee highlighted critical financial challenges, including pending dues of around Rs 243.28 crore from the state government. These arrears comprise local body tax and a one per cent stamp duty surcharge. The municipal administration was instructed to pursue the recovery of these dues aggressively, aiming to strengthen the civic body's financial position and ensure the availability of funds for development works recommended by elected representatives.
The committee also pointed out significant scope for improvement in property tax recovery. Outstanding property tax dues are estimated at approximately Rs 500 crore. Although the administration has projected property tax collection of Rs 234 crore, members noted that recovery should ideally reach 90%. Effective recovery efforts could potentially yield an additional Rs 100–125 crore in revenue, bolstering the NMC's financial health.
Sanap emphasized the need to enhance income from development charges collected by the town planning department. He noted that completion certificates have not been issued for several buildings, and prompt action in this area could generate an additional Rs 114 crore in revenue.
Corporator Contributions and Final Approval
Several corporators, including Gurmit Bagga, Sudhakar Badgujar, Hemlata Patil, and others, actively contributed suggestions aimed at improving the NMC's revenue generation and financial management. After incorporating these inputs, Mayor Aher accorded her approval to the standing committee's revised budget, marking a collaborative effort towards fiscal responsibility and urban development in Nashik.
