Vijayawada: Residents and civic associations expressed dissatisfaction over the poor utilisation of funds allocated in the previous year’s budget by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC).
They were frustrated as the corporation approved a 1,309 crore budget for 2025-26 on Saturday, drawing protests from opposition parties.
Critics have argued that the unspent funds from the 2024-25 budget hindered key development projects, leaving the essential infrastructure neglected.
The new budget was presented by mayor Rayana Bhagyalakshmi and approved despite strong objections from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) corporators. The revised 2024-25 budget was slashed from 1,370 crore to 1,124 crore, thus, sparking accusations of mismanagement and delays that resulted in inadequate funding from state govt.
TDP floor leader N Balaswamy criticised the budget for failing to allocate funds efficiently and prioritising political interests over public welfare. CPM corporator Boya Sattibabu alleged that the burden of revenue increase is unfairly being shifted onto the citizens.
He noted that the revenue income had increased from 786 crore to 808 crore, while expenditure surged from 1,074 crore to 1,455 crore.
The 2024-25 investment cost was initially projected at 780 crore but was later reduced to 314 crore due to underutilisation.
The new budget, however, proposes 692 crore for investment, a figure opposition claims is ‘inflated and impractical’. Meanwhile,Vijayawada Taxpayer Association criticised VMC officials for failing to leverage central and state govt schemes to fund development in the city.
They were frustrated as the corporation approved a 1,309 crore budget for 2025-26 on Saturday, drawing protests from opposition parties.
Critics have argued that the unspent funds from the 2024-25 budget hindered key development projects, leaving the essential infrastructure neglected.
The new budget was presented by mayor Rayana Bhagyalakshmi and approved despite strong objections from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) corporators. The revised 2024-25 budget was slashed from 1,370 crore to 1,124 crore, thus, sparking accusations of mismanagement and delays that resulted in inadequate funding from state govt.
TDP floor leader N Balaswamy criticised the budget for failing to allocate funds efficiently and prioritising political interests over public welfare. CPM corporator Boya Sattibabu alleged that the burden of revenue increase is unfairly being shifted onto the citizens.
He noted that the revenue income had increased from 786 crore to 808 crore, while expenditure surged from 1,074 crore to 1,455 crore.
The 2024-25 investment cost was initially projected at 780 crore but was later reduced to 314 crore due to underutilisation.
The new budget, however, proposes 692 crore for investment, a figure opposition claims is ‘inflated and impractical’. Meanwhile,Vijayawada Taxpayer Association criticised VMC officials for failing to leverage central and state govt schemes to fund development in the city.
