“In our budget for 2024-25, the total expenditure is more than our revised estimate figures for the current year and the receipts are higher than that of the revised estimate, leaving us with a surplus. We approach the next financial year towards making NDMC an aspirational city and global benchmark befitting its status as the national capital of ‘Viksit Bharat’,” said Amit Yadav, the council chairman.
Although there is no plan to raise property tax rates in the budget, the council aims to boost revenue collection through property tax, aiming for a projected amount of Rs 1,150 crore in FY 2024-25. The anticipated revenue collection from license fees for the year 2024-25 is Rs 825.11 crore, consistent with the proposed figure.
From next year onwards, NDMC will implement geo-tagging for all properties as part of its tax reforms. “Geo-tagging will mandate uploading photos of taxpayers’ properties through a mobile app or the NDMC website for easy identification and tracking,” said Yadav.
Implementing further strategies to address air pollution, the chairman announced the introduction of a policy for a gradual transition to electric vehicles, accompanied by an expansion of e-charging infrastructure. Additionally, the NDMC intends to embrace green bonds, and the initiation of this process involves the identification of merchant bankers, as per officials.
The council will also hire small electric mechanised vehicles for narrow lanes and spaces where big machines are unable to reach, Yadav said.Under the ‘One Day, One Road’ programme, intensive cleaning and washing of roads, footpaths and trees will be carried out. “Our estimate is that within three months, all roads will be covered and after three months, the same cycle will start from the first road,” he added.In a groundbreaking move, the NDMC has established an ‘innovation fund’ aimed at supporting novel and cutting-edge technologies. The fund’s inaugural project involves cleaning a portion of the Kushak drain, specifically the stretch between 11 Murti SP Marg and Kemal Ataturk Marg, covering a distance of approximately 2km. The budget outlines the intention to utilize this fund for a sustainable, long-term solution to prevent the discharge of untreated water into the Kushak drain. The project will be executed by IIT Kanpur.
For the education sector, NDMC plans to start distributing tablets to students of Class 9 from next year. So far, this facility was only for students of classes 10, 11 and 12. Officials said about 9,000 tablets will be distributed.
To facilitate local initiatives, the council has proposed to allocate Rs 10 crore in ‘untied funds’ for resident welfare associations (RWAs) and market trade associations (MTAs) under NDMC area for the year 2024-25.
In an effort to improve the visual appeal and infuse vibrancy into the urban scenery, the NDMC has acquired two hundred thousand tulip bulbs for the upcoming winter season. The chairman of the council mentioned that measures have been implemented to promote the domestic propagation and production of these bulbs. The aim is not only to decrease their reliance on imports but also to support the Make in India initiative in the years ahead, as stated by the NDMC chairman.
