Pune civic body unveils draft Budget with Rs 13,995 cr outlay

Pune, Mar 9 (PTI) Pune municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram presented a draft budget of Rs 13,995 crore for the financial year 2026-27 before the civic standing committee on Monday, with a strong emphasis on strengthening urban mobility and infrastructure.

Ram emphasised that improving road connectivity, acquiring land for infrastructure projects, and accelerating development in the 34 recently-merged villages would be among the key priorities of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

He said the proposed outlay may appear ambitious in comparison with the current revenue, but the civic administration expects an improvement in income during the next financial year.

Urban mobility has secured the largest allocation, with Rs 1,800 crore earmarked for road and transport infrastructure projects.

As part of the plan, the PMC intends to develop at least one major road in each of the merged villages and complete several missing road links across the city. Around 65 km of new roads are expected to be developed during the year, along with the widening of existing stretches.

The allocation for road development under the urban mobility component has been increased by Rs 500 crore compared to previous years, Ram said.

The civic body has also earmarked Rs 400 crore for land acquisition to facilitate road development projects.

The administration plans to compensate landowners through a mix of Transferable Development Rights (TDR) and cash payments.

Ram stated that several projects had been delayed as some landowners preferred cash compensation over TDR. To expedite road projects, the civic body has decided to offer cash payments in cases involving smaller land parcels.

The budget also proposes Rs 85 crore for the development of footpaths across Pune. A model footpath project has already been initiated in the Model Colony area to create levelled and encroachment-free pedestrian pathways.

For environmental initiatives, the civic body has proposed an allocation of Rs 75 crore, higher than previous budgets.

A major portion of the budget has also been directed towards improving infrastructure in the newly merged villages, including Rs 350 crore for water pipelines, Rs 750 crore for sewerage projects and Rs 110 crore for road works. PTI SPK NSK