Nagpur municipality may go for zonal budgeting

The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is toying with a very novel idea of de-centralisation which would empower zonal level executives with more financial powers and, theoretically, ensure that people's grievances are resolved at a stones throw from their doorsteps.

If the new concept of what is being described as "nuclear budgeting" gets the nod from the state government, Nagpur will be the first city of its size in the country and second in Maharashtra to introduce the new civic financing method. A variation of what is being proposed is being used by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation in the state.

Nuclear budgeting includes planning at the ward level, zonal level and finally at the central level. The idea, municipal commissioner Manu Kumar Srivastav's initiative, will strengthen zonal level administration and also be a major step for local self government reforms.

If all goes well, the state government may give its final consent to the experiment by February next year and the city will be able to implement the budget segment-wise.

The new scheme will provide citizens, corporators, social workers, and NGOs a direct involvement in deciding priorities for their municipal wards. The zonal level budgeting will focus on small works for providing all basic amenities to the localities.

The corporation's ten zonal offices will prepare separate budgets and each zone will get separate fund allocation. Ward-level priorities will not only be decided by the assistant commissioners, but the corporators, influential leaders, social workers will also be involved in the process.

The corporation will present its annual budget focusing on only major projects and schemes while small zone level budgets will take care of the interest of residing public of that particular zone, sources involved in preparation of the zonal budget revealed.

"This is to strengthen people's voice in financial management," a senior bureaucrat indicated.

Earlier, NMC used to prepare a centralised budget for the entire city. Now, the NMC in its main budget will concentrate on major schemes such as Integrated Road Development Project (IRDP) that runs across many zones and wards.

Repairs of manholes, road dividers, roads, street-lights, gardens, community temples or halls, will find place in budgets to be approved at the zonal level itself. Most of these small financial matters, which are now taken to the head office, will be sorted out at ward level itself. An assistant commissioner will be the sanctioning authority for the purpose.

"The booklet about zonal budget is being readied. It sets guidelines for priority works to be included in the budget. The satellite mapping of each ward will be taken into consideration while planning civic works in the new budgetary system," sources in the civic administration disclosed.

"A widening of major road passing through three to four zonal areas or the projects such as Sarvashiksha Abhiyan will be implemented by the NMC's head office while inner road works, renovation of schools and other civic works will be undertaken by the zonal bosses," sources revealed.

A special accountant and finance officer will take care of zonal budgets and will maintain the account at zonal level.

According to the sources, newly appointed assistant commissioners will be imparted special training to make them aware about the rules to be framed for this new system.