Shimla Mayor Tables Rs 188.35 Crore Budget for 2025-26; Opposition Terms It “Copy” of Last Year
Municipal Corporation Mayor Surinder Chauhan talking to the journalist
Shimla, February 27: Mayor of Shimla Municipal Corporation Surinder Chauhan on Tuesday presented the second general budget of the city for the financial year 2025-26 of Rs 188.35 crore. This budget has also set off a heated debate between the ruling as well as the opposition parties although it has proposed a number of important developments.
The budget for the next financial year, at Rs 188.35 crore, is about Rs 59 crore lower than last year’s budget of Rs 247.25 crore. Though the budget was reduced, the Mayor added that the budget is a complete plan for the further development and modernization of Shimla to resolve issues of concern and improve the quality of life for the citizens.
Significant proposals in the budget are the introduction of vending zones in Sanjauli at the cost of Rs 15 crore. These efforts, planned through the downtown revitalization strategy, are designed to enhance the way the city functions while creating efficiencies for local businesses. In addition, the budget proposes commercial fee for shops and dhabas in thousands of residential buildings in Shimla.
The budget emphasizes a combination of urban renewal, environmental protection, and disaster relief. Among its proposals are establishment of an early warning center to deal with natural disasters, cycle tracks for eco-friendly transport, a “Waste Wonder Zone” near Rivoli. In addition to green initiative for beautification and sustainability of Shimla, the green initiative also includes developing 1,000 new streets and planting 5,000 new trees.
One of the highlights of the budget was the Mayor’s commitment to investing in city services. But he emphasized that there will be no new taxes. The Mayor highlighted these adjustments as the city requires better services for its citizens, but without placing an extra burden on the citizens through additional taxes. Despite a slight increase in property and garbage bills.
Reflecting Shimla’s social issues, the budget also seeks to initiate a campaign against drug abuse, which is becoming an issue in the region. The Mayor also said the central and the state governments had also sanctioned a grant of Rs 32 crore which would be utilised for betterment of public services and infrastructure in Shimla.
The opposition quickly called the budget, proposed by BJP councillors, a regurgitation of last year’s proposals. The Mayor has presented an “old-copy paste” budget with no new schemes, the BJP councillor from Ruledubhatta, Saroj Thakur, said. Thakur went on to say that the budget had not taken into consideration the sanitation workers who keep Shimla clean.
The BJP endorsed its criticism of the lack of any new announcement for the personnel responsible for the upkeep of the city and especially for not incorporating plans for the long-promised supply of water 24-hours a day, which had formed a large part of the previous discussion. Thakur observed that while announcing the 2025-26 budget, the state government has even skipped more promises, such as a 24-hour water supply system.
In defense of his own position, Mayor Surinder Chauhan dismissed the accusations made by opposition councillors as “political” and claimed that the budget was intended to deliver real help for the growth and wellbeing of the city. He reiterated that the development will not slow down due to the reduced size of budget and added that a grant of Rs 32 crore from the central and state governments would play a key role in improving the Infrastructure of Shimla.
Meanwhile, the power play at the top goes on as Shimla’s residents wait for the city’s future based on the potential benefits and pitfalls of what these plans will bring. As the Mayor assures that there will be no new taxes levied in the city budget, and critical city services will receive funding, whether or not Shimla’s citizens will find the proposed budget satisfactory will become evident in the coming month through the opposition’s continued rhetoric against the proposals.
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