MCD's ₹16,697 crore budget focuses on infrastructure, AQI and dog shelters

FOcusing on substructure enlargement and pollution verify, the Municipal corp of new delhi’s standing committee on Wednesday proposed a ₹16,697.56-crore budget for fiscal 2026–27 that includes new dog shelters, theme parks, multilevel parking facilities and a dedicated air pollution action plan.The budget sought to boost revenue through improved tax recovery rather than imposing new levies.This was the first budget presented by the standing committee chairperson since the 2022 MCD elections, as the constitution of the panel had remained stalled for over two-and-a-half years due to a legal and political tussle between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).Presenting the budget, standing committee chairperson Satya Sharma accused the AAP of delaying the formation of key committees and pushing the civic body into a financial crisis.Sharma said no proposals for fresh tax hikes has been moved. Instead, the corporation plans to widen its tax base and launch special drives to recover dues from government and non-government properties, a move expected to generate an additional ₹500 crore. The MCD has so far this fiscal collected a record ₹2,700 crore in property tax from around 200,000 properties. Sharma said revenue would also be enhanced by bringing transparency to outdoor advertisements and by regulating the commercial use of municipal facilities and street vending.Air pollution action planFor implementing the air pollution action plan, Sharma announced the formation of a dedicated “group of departments” for pollution control, headed by a senior additional commissioner.“This group will prepare year-round action plans, monitor their implementation, and ensure timely and effective execution. It will take concrete steps on road dust control, monitoring construction sites, waste management, increasing green cover, and action against pollution-causing sources,” she said.Under the sanitation head, the MCD plans to develop green spaces and public amenities on land reclaimed from landfill sites.Sharma also announced the launch of a “One Road, One Day” scheme for phased maintenance of municipal roads, under which one major road in each zone will undergo comprehensive redevelopment every day.“This will include road repairs, footpath improvement and beautification, tree pruning, grill painting, repair of streetlights and signage, removal of debris and encroachment clearance. Teams will be constituted at the Assembly constituency level in all zones for this purpose,” she said.The budget also proposes expansion of waste treatment capacity, including setting up three bio-methanation plants, a construction and demolition (C&D) waste plant in Tehkhand, and increasing the fleet of electric mechanical road sweepers for colony roads. Several of these projects, however, have seen delays in previous years.Under the engineering head, the MCD has proposed two new multilevel parking facilities in every zone to ease traffic congestion and improve parking in markets. “In the first phase, projects with parking capacity for thousands of vehicles will be initiated in Karol Bagh, Punjabi Bagh, Bharat Darshan Park, Shastri Park, Rajendra Nagar, Pusa Lane and Rani Bagh,” Sharma said.Six new theme parksFor the horticulture department, the chairperson proposed a new greening master plan focusing on native and low water-demand plants.“Six theme-based parks will be developed to promote the concept of ‘Waste to Wealth’. These parks will showcase India’s identity through themes such as festivals, culture and heritage, Bollywood, sports achievements and the freedom struggle,” she said.For community dogsWith the issue of community dogs under scrutiny in the Supreme Court, the budget proposes setting up at least one dog shelter in each of the 12 zones, for which a new budget head has been created with a provision of ₹10 crore.“To further strengthen sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination of stray dogs, additional dog kennels will be established at five new centres, and kennels will also be constructed at the existing five sterilisation centres to accelerate the programme,” Sharma said.Tax reformsUnder property tax reforms, the chairperson said digital transactions are being promoted and an integrated system is being developed with utility service providers such as electricity, water and gas agencies to improve collection efficiency. “In all villages, one residential plot of up to 200 square metres per villager will be fully exempted from property tax. Commercial tax in villages will be levied only on portions where actual commercial activity is carried out,” she added.HealthIn the health sector, the budget proposes setting up at least one Ayushman Arogya Mandir at the ward level to provide primary healthcare services closer to homes.It also proposes establishing one maternal and child care centre and one ayurvedic dispensary at each Assembly constituency level.“A new panchakarma centre will be established at Tilak Nagar Colony Hospital, and IPD services will be started at Swami Vivekanand Panchakarma Hospital in Dilshad Garden, subject to available resources,” Sharma said.