Opposition gives thumbs down to BMC budget; 'BJP's roadmap to loot Mumbaikars', says Cong

Mumbai, Feb 25 (PTI) The Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday criticised the Mumbai civic body's Budget 2026-27, alleging it was designed to benefit contractors and terming it the BJP's roadmap to loot citizens.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) proposed a budget outlay of Rs 80,952.56 crore for the financial year 2026-27, marking an 8.77 per cent increase over the 2025-26 budget estimate of Rs 74,427.41 crore.

Mumbai Congress president and MP Varsha Gaikwad claimed the civic body was burdened with liabilities of Rs 2.45 lakh crore, and Mumbaikars will be forced to bear the costs.

She also alleged that Rs 36,600 crore in civic reserves would be depleted and pointed to "massive cost escalations in ongoing projects, terming them a bonanza" for contractors linked to the ruling Mahayuti.

In a post on social media, the Congress leader alleged that prime public lands, including roads, markets, parking spaces and commercial plots, were being leased, monetised and commercialised.

"The city is being sold," she said.

Gaikwad claimed that key sectors had been neglected in the Budget, stating that primary education had been allocated only 1 per cent of the capital expenditure, while public health received 5 per cent.

She also alleged that there was no clear roadmap for reviving the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport undertaking and criticised the continuation of wet leasing, calling it a privatisation "disaster".

Gaikwad said less than 50 per cent of dug-up roads had been completed and accused the administration of lacking accountability in what she termed a "concretisation scam". She also said there were no foolproof measures to tackle the city's air pollution.

The BMC has proposed a capital expenditure of Rs 48,164.28 crore for 2026-27, an increase of about 11.59 per cent over 2025-26, signalling a renewed push for infrastructure and special projects.

Citing budgetary figures, Gaikwad claimed that 48 per cent of the capital expenditure allocated for 2025-26 remained unspent as of January 31, 2026, while 21 per cent of income targets for the financial year had not been met by the same date.

Despite this, the capital expenditure estimates had again been inflated, she alleged.

According to Gaikwad, the expenditure gap would be bridged by taxing citizens, selling and commercialising public land and drawing down public reserves.

"This isn't a budget for Mumbaikars, it is the BJP's roadmap to loot Mumbai and her citizens," Gaikwad added.

In a separate social media post, Shiv Sena (UBT) also criticised the Budget and contrasted it with its tenure in the civic body.

The party claimed that it had transformed the BMC from a Rs 650 crore deficit Budget and increased fixed deposits to Rs 92,000 crore, which enabled several social welfare initiatives.

It alleged that under the BJP-led administration, the civic body's fixed deposits depleted to Rs 44,824 crore and accused it of financially weakening the corporation. PTI ND NSK