BCC presents Rs 92L surplus budget for 2026 and 27

Belagavi: The Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) on Wednesday presented a surplus budget of Rs 92.3 lakh for 2026–27, projecting receipts of Rs 44,254.5 lakh against an expenditure of Rs 44,162.3 lakh.Rekha Mohan Hugar, chairperson of the taxation, finance and appeal standing committee, presented the budget in the presence of mayor Mangesh Pawar, deputy mayor Vani Vilas Joshi, commissioner Karthik M, and other members.The corporation projected Rs 8,500 lakh from property tax, Rs 755 lakh from penalties and property transfer fees, Rs 989.9 lakh from building permissions and development cess, Rs 1,100 lakh from the sale of vacant properties, Rs 975 lakh from solid waste management cess, Rs 400 lakh from trade licences, and Rs 500 lakh from new underground drainage (UGD) connections.Grants and other revenue sources included Rs 322 lakh from the SFC fund, Rs 6,264 lakh under SFC electrical grants, Rs 2,100 lakh from the 16th Finance Commission, Rs 169 lakh from scrap sales, and Rs 150 lakh as road-cutting compensation.On the expenditure side, Rs 210 lakh was earmarked for the sterilisation of stray dogs and the construction of shelters. The corporation allocated Rs 500 lakh as its contribution to the CITIES 2.0 programme for upgrading solid waste management. A major outlay of Rs 3,825 lakh was set aside for outsourced cleanliness services and Rs 1,100 lakh for salaries of permanent civic workers. Additionally, Rs 400 lakh was reserved for scientific waste management and Rs 50 lakh for streetlight maintenance.The budget also provided Rs 2,700 lakh for overall development works, Rs 200 lakh for the protection of open spaces, Rs 135 lakh for park development, Rs 200 lakh for UGD connections and community halls, and Rs 145 lakh for the procurement of electronic devices to enhance digital administration.Opposition members, led by Azim Patavegar, questioned the credibility of the revenue projections, alleging that last year's estimates fell short, particularly in property tax collection. They also flagged the omission of Rs 17 crore in pending dues from Hescom.Defending the budget, ruling group member advocate Hanumant Kongali termed it realistic and clarified that the Hescom dues were excluded this year as the matter is under litigation. He said the budget was prepared after consulting stakeholders and described it as practical.