This is how much BMC has spent on tackling coronavirus

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Asia’s richest civic body, budget always draws attention as its allocation is more than many states' budget. This year, the BMC allocated a major chunk of the money (INR 18,751 crores) towards infrastructure and development projects from the total INR 39,038 crores budget outlay.

This is 16.74 per cent higher than the budget for FY 2020-21 (INR 33441.02 crores). Only 48 per cent of last year's allocation could be spent on various development projects, due to the raging COVID-19 pandemic.

Ever since the COVID-19 outbreak since March 2020, Mumbaikars engaged in essential services had been reporting in to work. They have been doing so even when the local trains were shut. These staff used to commute via Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) and the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses. To provide help to these workers, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had decided to grant a daily allowance of INR 300 per day to these workers as they were risking their lives in the peak of the pandemic to help the city function. More than 1 lakh BMC workers were covered under this scheme.

Till now BMC has spent INR 384 crores on a daily allowance scheme. However, the BMC had decided discontinued the allowance after December 31, but later on, the proposal was sent to the standing committee and they decided to grant the allowance till further notice.

Moreover, on December 29, 2020, the administration had issued a circular that the daily allowance of the BMC staff would be discontinued as most of the city had reopened in June. But later on, employees’ unions opposed it and demanded the allowance should be continued till March this year. Furthermore, the new proposal will be put on the table in the standing committee on Wednesday, February 3.

On Wednesday, February 3 in its budget presentation, BMC has also earmarked INR 2,945.78 crore for education. Since schools are expected to resume offline classes soon, in this year's budget, BMC has kept a provision of INR15.90 crore to provide soaps, hand wash or hand sanitisers and face masks to students. These items will be made available to children coming to school for free. In addition to this, it was also announced that all municipal schools will be provided with infrared thermometers and oximeters to keep a tab on the spread of coronavirus.