NDMC budget focuses on bagging Smart City tag

New Delhi: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Friday presented its budget for 2017-18 with the Smart City project yet again topping the agenda along with installation of LED streetlights, e-governance, automated parking facility and free wi-fi. Smart City has been the focus of NDMC budget for the third consecutive year with the 2015-16 and 2016-17 budget focusing on initiatives to bag the Smart City tag. The NDMC will also be installing a giant 13,500 square-feet digital wall on façade of its Palika Kendra headquarters. The digital screen will relay a live telecast of this year’s Republic Day parade.

NDMC chairman Naresh Kumar projected a total income of Rs 3,627.08 crore against a total estimated expenditure of Rs 3,621.62 crore, a surplus of Rs 5.46 crore. Mr Kumar said that the main objective of the budget is good governance and an inclusive development.

Talking about the “smart city” project, Mr Kumar said that the Council has formed a special purpose vehicle (SPV), which has received a grant of Rs 194 crore from urban development ministry, and Rs 56 crore from NDMC, thereby bringing the seed capital to Rs 250 crore. “I further propose to transfer Rs 44 crore to the SPV in the current financial year and Rs 50 crore in the year 2017-18,” proposed Mr Kumar.

As per the budget proposal in the year 2017-18, NDMC Smart City SPV would raise funds of Rs 500 crore by issuing municipal bonds to finance Smart City proposals.

Two previous project installations of LED str-eetlights and smart poles with CCTV cameras have been repackaged with an allocation of Rs 30 crore.

The same was announced in the budget for 2015-16 and included in last year’s budget as well.

“A dashboard will be developed to engage citizens and visitors to encourage the public to give their opinion and suggestions. This dashboard will have features like comparison of performance over time in relation to establish targets, benchmarking with other national and international cities against identified standards,” added Mr Kumar.

To increase public awareness about the NDMC’s schemes, projects and initiatives through social media, Mr Kumar proposes to post online discussions, polls, live Question and Answer sessions, surveys and discussions on a wide range of topics. “The feedback through such social media will be monitored to take necessary decisions to improve the NDMC’s services, and bridge gaps, if any,” he said.