There has been a massive controversy over the new BMC budget for 2024-25 and alleged irregular tax hike on urban residents. The Congress corporators’ group of the BMC has reacted against the move of the administration in strong words, accusing serious irregularities and violation of rules prescribed. As per Congress corporators, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation has submitted its revised budget for 2024-25 to the State Government for approval. But the Congress group strongly believes that according to the Municipal Corporation Act, the adoption of the municipal budget is solely within the jurisdiction of the municipal council and not the State Government.

 

They accuse the sending of the budget to the Government for approval as sheer disregard of the legal process and an assault on the principle of local self-governance and the powers vested in the elected corporation council. Joining the row, the Congress corporators’ group has levelled serious allegations against what they term as ‘illegal’ increases in taxes on the citizens of Bhopal after March 31, 2025. The corporators have accused that bypassing the formal budgetary process and ignoring the rules, the civic body has stealthily increased a series of urban taxes, perhaps including property tax, water tax, and sanitation fees, after the financial year-end. The corporators have accused that these increases have been carried out without due process, proper public notice, or explicit sanction of the corporation council, rendering them completely against norms and placing an undue financial burden on the common man. To bring attention to these egregious irregularities and the supposed breach of city norms, some of the highest-ranking leaders and corporators of the Congress party met with the Principal Secretary of the Urban Development and Environment Department on May 15.

 

The Congress team had presented him detailed documents and evidence which, they assert, substantiate their charges of illegal increases and the irregular budget filing procedure. The Congress members described to the Principal Secretary how, in their view, the municipal corporation is openly violating the norms and procedures. They contended that if the budget itself has not been voted into law as per the prescribed legal procedure and has been dispatched to the government allegedly illegally, there is no rationale or ground to impose tax increases, particularly after the new financial year has already been commenced. The Congress corporators’ team asked the Principal Secretary to direct a high-level investigation in the whole issue.

 

They also asked for cancellation and rollback of the illegal tariff hikes imposed on the people of Bhopal forthwith. In addition, they asked for intervention to make the BMC budget exercise concluded strictly in terms of rules and regulations and upholding the constitutional supremacy of the corporation council in the budget. Corporator’ group has issued a firm warning that if these so-called illegal activities are not curbed and the imposition of the additional tax on the people is not withdrawn, they will be compelled to launch a mass agitation. They claimed that they will not allow the injustice done to the people of Bhopal and will intensify their agitation against the so-called arbitrariness of the municipal administration. It is to be seen what the Principal Secretary will do with the charges and the documents brought by the Congress delegation. The questions raised have thrown a serious shadow on the financial management and working procedures of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation. In the meantime, the citizens of the city, agitated by the increase in tax rates, are eagerly waiting for a clear and just solution to this brewing controversy.