The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) standing committee on Thursday increased the budget estimates for 2010-’11 to Rs 3,196 crore, up Rs 286 crore from what was proposed by the civic administration. It has laid special focus on improving traffic situation and public transport service for the city, by making a provision of Rs 25 crore for monorail.

However, putting a question mark over this ambitious mark-up is that the civic administration, with less than a month to go for the end of 2009-’10 has been able to spend only Rs 1,400 crore of the Rs 3,300 crore earmarked for the fiscal. “We are aware that the civic body has been able to spend only 30 per cent of the budget estimated for development works for 2009-’10. There are various reasons for the poor implementation of the budget and it cannot be said it will be like this next year,” said standing committee chairman Nilesh Nikam.  

In the budget tabled in the general body on Thursday by Nikam, a budget of Rs 3,196.12 crore with a provision of Rs 1,987 crore — 44 per cent of the total budget — for capital expenditure and development work. This is against the proposed budget estimate of Rs 2,910.12 crore, in which Rs 1,634.78 crore was marked against this head.  

The provision of Rs 25 crore for introducing monorail and another Rs 25 crore for Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd to improve its services comes over and above the effort to introduce Metro in the city. “The Union Government has initiated steps to promote monorail as an alternative public transport system in cities. The PMC too has its plan and does not want to be left behind.”

The civic body has also made other provisions to improve the traffic system — Rs 10 crore for elevated road on Senapati Bapat Road, Rs 12 crore for a grade separator at Sancheti chowk and Rs 7 crore for a skywalk from Shivajinagar railway station to Shaniwarwada.

On the civic administration unable to construct many roads proposed in the development plan, Nikam said, “There has been a rapid increase in the number of private vehicles on city roads, leading to congestion. This can be tackled only if most of the proposed roads are constructed as soon as possible. Thus, a provision of Rs 375.83 crore has been exclusively made for developing new roads.”

The civic body has decided to start work on the long-pending road from Warje to Kharadi either through the BOT model or PPP basis.

It will also be undertaking an ambitious project to inculcate traffic sense among school children so that there will be more traffic discipline in future. A provision of Rs 4 crore has been made for a joint project of traffic management to be undertaken with the city police. The civic body has decided to extend its free PMPML services for students up to class XII, a facility for students up to class X earlier.

What gets how much

25 cr for monorail project

25 cr for PMPML

10 cr for elevated road on Senapati Bapat Road

12 cr for grade separator at Sancheti chowk

7 cr for skywalk from Shivajinagar rly station to Shaniwar Wada

4 cr for traffic management