Pune: PMC Budget 2025 – From Water To Roads To Civic Hospitals, What Punekars Expect From Civic Budget

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is likely to present its budget for the financial year (FY) 2025-26 in the first week of March.

Ulka Kalaskar, head of PMC's accounts department, said the civic body is likely to present its budget for FY 2025-26 in the first week of March.

The administration is banking on financial aid of Rs 2,000 crore from the state and central governments. PMC has proposed to spend around Rs 1,200 crore on road infrastructure, with a focus on 33 missing links.

"As part of the plan, priority will be given to 15 roads that see traffic congestion every day. Seventeen other roads will also be in focus," an official said.

Several residents of the areas under the PMC are keen to know when the civic body will table its budget, as the neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has tabled a ₹9,675.27 crore budget for the financial year (FY) 2025-26.

Here's what Punekars expect from PMC

Jaymala Dhankikar, a resident of the NIBM Annexe area, said, "As a concerned citizen, I strongly believe that the PMC budget must prioritize adequate funding for healthcare and hospitals. We must focus on strengthening our public healthcare infrastructure. The city's water infrastructure is in shambles, gardens and drainage systems require significant investment, and the condition of our roads is appalling. The PMC's claim of having no funds for CCTV installation in our area is a cause of concern. How can we guarantee women's safety in the city without a functional surveillance system? We demand transparency and accountability in the budget allocation, and a clear plan to address the city's pressing issues."

Monika Sharma, a resident of Kalyani Nagar, said, "We urge the PMC to allocate its budget effectively for the betterment of our city. It's disheartening to see that many issues, which were supposed to be addressed in the last budget, remain unresolved. We demand well-paved roads in Kalyani Nagar, free from potholes and built to last. Roads must be maintained year-round, and the footpath should be clean, strong, and well-constructed for long-term use."

She added, "Footpaths should also be free of encroachment, so the PMC should create separate food and hawker zones that do not impede pedestrian movement. Proper street lighting is essential for the safety of both pedestrians and vehicles. Additionally, we need systematic waste collection and disposal to keep our localities garbage-free, with PMC monitoring vehicles to prevent illegal burning. We demand action, not just promises. The budget should reflect the needs of every Punekar, and this time, it must deliver on the commitments made."

'It should be a realistic budget'

Vivek Velankar, a civic activist, said, "It should be a realistic budget. For many years, the budget has been much more than achievable. Enough budget should be allocated for the equitable water project, STP project, stormwater drainage project. And they should also target property tax dues recovery and reserve 10% of the budget for development plan implementation."

Mukund Kirdat, district convenor of AAP, said, "While allocating a budget, PMC should fulfill the pending demand for a cancer hospital. It had earlier proposed to construct a cultural center at Ambedkar Bhavan, which is still pending. Also, PMC has constructed healthcare infrastructure, but it should also allocate funds to have doctors and other staff to run them efficiently. As of now, most of the hospitals run on PPP models because they don't have staff to run them on their own."

He added, "The budget should also be allocated to the education sector. The state government has proposed to start a CBSE syllabus in government schools, but for that, the schools should have basic infrastructure ready. Security in schools is utmost; cameras should be installed, and compound walls with doors are also required in schools to avoid any kind of mishap. They should also arrange parking near metro stations, and someone needs to take ownership of the parking space near metros."

Deepak Jadhav, a health activist, said, "PMC should allocate funds for the appointment of doctors and other staff. Also, we demand that all the civic hospitals be run by the PMC and not through the public-private partnership (PPP) model. There's always a shortage of medicines in the dispensaries, and enough funds should be sanctioned to meet the requirements for an adequate supply of drugs. Lastly, we demand that the PMC medical college be started by appointing doctors and other staff, and it should be made available for public use."

Prajakta Mahajan, a volunteer at Pune River Revival, said, "The PMC should work on financial planning that incorporates long-term climate resilience, groundwater recharge, and pollution control. There should be a focus on improving the quality of life rather than just construction projects. We have an outdated concept of development."