NDMC Budget for FY 2024-25 shows receipts of Rs 5,069.63 crore which is higher than revised estimate of Rs 4,888.93 crore.

New Delhi :-   Chairman concluded Budget Speech with the remarks that we approach the coming financial year with confidence, gained from our achievements and hope to grow consistently leveraging our strengths with the continued support from all stakeholders towards making NDMC an aspirational city and global benchmark befitting its status as the national capital of ‘Viksit Bharat’. Our vision for 2047 is to be a part of developed Bharat as one   of the leading capital cities of the World.  NDMC as we had to prepare New Delhi for hosting the G-20 summit, under the leadership of our beloved PM Narendra Modi. NDMC devoted itself to ensuring the success of this significant event and took numerous initiatives to prepare the city to welcome our guests from across the world. Through the concerted efforts of team NDMC we not only met but exceeded the expectations. In our budget for 2024-25, total expenditure is more than our RE figures for the current year and the receipts are higher than that of RE leading us with a surplus, a trend maintained by NDMC for the last number of years. Higher revenue expenditure for RE 2023-24 is on account of increased power purchase prices and payment of salary to the newly appointed 4,400 Palika Sahayaks. The increase in receipts is the result of our efforts in collection of property tax and estate dues. We expect the expenditure to further increase in FY 2024-25 on account of disbursement of arrear of salary/pension and other retirement benefits on implementation of 7th CPC in NDMC.

 Amit Yadav- Chairman NDMC said that NDMC has made significant progress to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) we have our footprints in 15 of the 17 SDGs prescribed for municipal bodies.  So far Recruitment Rules (RRs) of more than 100 categories of posts have already been approved by the Council. The long pending decision on 07thCentral Pay Commission has also been taken and the employees shall now get all the benefits of CPC. These measures shall have significant effect on budget this year in terms of outlay, however large part of this increase is likely to be set off in FY 2024-25.  To tighten our tax collections, we will implement Geo Tagging for all properties starting next financial year i.e. 2024-25. Geo Tagging will have the features of uploading the photos of the properties of tax payers through mobile App or NDMC website.

NDMC has implemented a range of proactive measures to combat environmental pollution through promoting greenery and expanding the green cover to mitigate the spread of dust, deployed Smog Guns, Mechanical Road Sweepers, to switch to only electric vehicles in a phased manner and have augmented e-charging points to support use of electric vehicles in NDMC area. We have launched a “One Day One Road” programme wherein intensive cleaning and washing of trees, roads and pavements is taken up for an identified road every day.

To enhance aesthetics in the environment, NDMC procured 3 lakh tulip bulbs and organized a tulip festival, greatly appreciated by the public. NDMC  has taken steps to ensure that the tulip bulbs are propagated and produced within the country and in coming years we hope to achieve the same, to not only reduce  their import but also to encourage Make in India development. In another initiative of rehabilitation of sewerage system, NDMC has requested Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to consider sanctioning projects worth Rs 556 crore under Urban Development Fund (UDF) Scheme.  The fundingwill enable NDMC to augment sewerage system in a phased manner within a span of 5 years.

NDMC has created an Innovation Fund, to facilitate new and pioneering efforts as also infusion of new technology. Now the modalities for the same has been laid down by constitution of a committee to consider such projects. First of such project, bio remediation based innovative hybrid technology has been taken up to clean the  partial open portion of Kushaknallah from 11 MurtiSardarPatel Marg to Kemal Ataturk Marg in about 2 Km. length. In the Budget it is proposed to make available Untied Funds of Rs. 10 crore for the Resident Welfare Association (RWAs) and Market Trade Associations (MTAs) of the NDMC area for the year 2024-25 with an objective to provide scope for local initiatives and flexibility for local action by the RWAs/ MTAs.

 NDMC is also working on amendment to the NDMC Act, 1994 to align with current global best practices, to factor our learning experiences over the last three decades, ensuring ease of doing business, reducing regulatory burden and carrying out reforms including tax reforms.   The total receipts of the Budget Estimates 2024-25 are Rs. 5,069.63 crore against Rs.4,888.93 crore provided in Revised Estimate 2023-24.The actual receipts in 2022-23 were Rs.4,302.79 crore.  The BE 2024-25 for the revenue receipts are Rs.4,444.36 crore against Rs. 4,293.51. crore provided in RE 2023-24 and actual of Rs.3,894.67 crore in 2022-23.  The BE 2024-25 for capital receipts are Rs.625.27 crore against Rs. 595.42 crore provided in RE 2023-24 and actual of Rs.408.12 crore in 2022-23.  The total expenditure for BE 2024-25 are Rs.4,829.36 crore against Rs. 4,568.21 crore provided in RE 2023-24 and actual of Rs. 3,999.31 crore in 2022-23.  The BE for revenue expenditure in 2024-25 are Rs. 4,395.30 crore against Rs. 4,258.55 crore provided in RE 2023-24 and actual of Rs. 3,856.27 crore in 2022-23. The capital expenditure is projected at Rs. 434.07 crore in BE 2024-25 against Rs.309.67 crore in RE 2023-24 and actual of Rs. 143.04 crore in 2022-23.  The total revenue receipts from Electricity Distribution Strategic Business Unit (EDSBU) have been projected in RE 2023-24 at Rs.1,455.18 crore as against actual Rs.1577.51 crore in the year 2022-23. The projections for BE 2024-25 are at Rs. 1,565.05 crore.

 The various activities of tax department have been preponed which will ensure early collection of revenue for NDMC. Earlier, bills used to be raised between the month of October to December of year which now has been preponed from May of each year. The council has approved the proposal of the department to increase 1% of transfer duty for both male and female w.e.f 1.8.2023 which will ensure additional revenue of Rs.15 crore approximately each year from FY 2023-24 onward.  NDMC is expecting to collect Property Tax of Rs.1,150 crore in Revised Estimates 2023-24 and Rs.1,150 crore in BE 2024-25  The actual receipts in 2022-23 for License Fee from Municipal Properties stood at Rs. 628.69 crore. The Projections for RE 2023-24 are at Rs. 825.11 crore and BE 2024-25 are at Rs. 825.11 crore.

The meeting was attended by Shri Satish Upadhyay- Vice-Chairman, Shri Virender Singh Kadian-MLA & Member, NDMC alongwith other Members of Council Smt. Vishakha Shailani and Shri Girish Sachdeva. The meeting was also attended by Shri Surendra Singh – OSD, NDMC, Shri  Krishna Mohan Uppu- Secretary, NDMC and Shri Puskal Upadhyay, Financial Advisor, NDMC.