KARACHI: The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) council approved a budget of Rs. 49.6 billion for the upcoming fiscal year 2024-25 amidst noisy protests by the opposition, who criticised the megacity’s next year financial plan as ‘visionless’.
Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab presented the budget in the KMC council on Monday, which shows a surplus of Rs. 99.707 million.
According to the budget document, total receipts are estimated at Rs. 49.7 billion, while estimated expenditures amount to Rs. 49.6 billion. Current receipts are Rs. 39.7 billion, and capital receipts total Rs. 815.213 million. Funds allocated for the District ADP are Rs. 9.16 billion. Establishment expenses are estimated at Rs. 27.84 billion, contingent expenses at Rs. 3.176 billion, repair and maintenance at Rs. 424.35 million, and development projects/ works at Rs. 8.986 billion. The estimated expenses for the District ADP are Rs. 9.168 billion.
During the budget presentation, Mayor Murtaza Wahab emphasised efforts to provide maximum facilities to citizens at the local level. He mentioned that funds have been allocated under the Federal PSDP Development Scheme 2024-25, with a total cost of Rs. 10 billion for the Karachi Development Package.
Rs 103.256 million has been allocated for road maintenance and repair, Rs. 1,000 million for the improvement of sports grounds, Rs. 111.62 million for the beautification of parks, and Rs. 8,785.118 million for the repair and beautification of bridges, flyovers, and underpasses.
Under the Annual Provincial Development Program Scheme, Phase I of the Mewa Shah Cemetery and its surroundings has been completed at a cost of Rs. 200.920 million, with work on Phase II to be completed in this fiscal year. The Shaheed-e-Millat Expressway KPT Flyover to Manzoor Colony Phase I scheme has been completed at a cost of Rs. 516.000 million, with work on Phase II ongoing and expected to be completed within this fiscal year. Additionally, 125 schemes worth Rs. 6,500 million are under construction.
For 2024-25, 162 new schemes under the Provincial ADP are proposed at an estimated cost of Rs 5.788 billion. More than 150 roads, flyovers, bridges, sidewalks, service roads, pedestrian bridges, and entry and exit streets have been constructed and renovated under the CLICK project at a cost of Rs. 2,825 million. Proposed schemes under the CLICK project for 2024-25 amount to Rs. 6,476.400 million.
These include the installation of solar-powered LED streetlights on three major roads with five years of maintenance, the renovation of Shadab Football Ground Block 11 Federal B Area, the renovation of Baldia Stadium in Baldia Town, the construction of IT Park and Centre in Shadman Town, the construction of Memon Goth Road in Malir, the road behind Malir Court to Murtaza Chowk, the construction of a football and cricket ground in UC 3 Mauripur Keamari, and the construction of a community centre in UC 7 Murad Memon Goth.
In the Annual Development Program District ADP 2023-24, 542 ongoing schemes required Rs. 2,687 million, but only Rs. 1,232 million were released, resulting in a shortfall of Rs. 1,455 million. Despite this, KMC completed 64 development schemes of roads, bridges, flyovers, and buildings in various districts. No new schemes were included in the budget for 2023-24, and Rs. 1.2 billion provided by the Sindh government will be available this fiscal year, to be spent on development works across the city fairly after council approval.
For 2024-25, efforts will be made to complete 480 ongoing schemes requiring Rs. 5,852 million. Mayor Wahab highlighted Karachi’s chronic water shortage issue, addressing it through the construction of a new canal from Hub Dam and repairing the old canal, establishing an infrastructure to provide 200 million gallons daily from Hub to Karachi. Children’s wards, gynaecology wards, and emergency wards have been established in Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, dental units in Sarfraz Rafiqui Shaheed Hospital and Spencer Eye Hospital, while Karachi Institute of Kidney Diseases has been expanded with a new floor and new medical equipment.
Spencer Eye Hospital, which had been closed, has been reactivated for eye treatments, and Gizri Maternity Home has been reopened with a dental unit and a nursery for newborns. Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases now has a nursing school with 270 students, 130 of whom receive free education. Abbasi Shaheed Hospital’s nursing school will also be activated. The establishment of a blue ward in KIHD has improved emergency medical services. Transforming Karachi Medical and Dental College into Metropolitan University was a long-standing dream realized with support from the People’s Party’s Sindh government.
A project to reintroduce 25 green buses in Karachi at a cost of Rs. 250 million is under way, with a prototype bus already prepared. Significant expenditures on streetlight infrastructure and maintenance will shift to solar power on three major roads. The Sindh government increased the UC grant from Rs. 500,000 to Rs. 1,200,000 to empower UC chairmen for better local government administration, which will also improve revenue. To meet environmental demands, large-scale tree planting and urban forests are planned at Gutter Baghicha and Lyari River similar to Kidney Hill. Efforts continue to construct a city council hall in Bagh-e-Karachi, using only one percent of its area, and to restore small and large parks.
The issue of Municipal Utility Charges, which had been under court consideration for years, has been resolved in KMC’s favour, potentially generating Rs. 4 billion in revenue for the city. KMC’s tax system is being modernised, and the public-private partnership model will be used to maximize asset utilization, crucial for establishing a sustainable infrastructure.
To address the issue of blocked storm water drains, cleaning of 46 major drains is underway. The sale and use of plastic bags, which clog drainage systems and harm the environment and sea, should be completely banned. KMC has focused on improving departmental performance, and for the next fiscal year, Rs. 10.802 billion is allocated for pension funds, other miscellaneous expenses, and bailout packages.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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