Thane, March 26 The NCP (SP) on Thursday criticized the Thane Municipal Corporation's budget, stating that the civic body is failing to provide basic necessities despite owing Rs 2,100 crore.
Thane Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao presented a budget of Rs 6,221.12 crore for the 2026-27 fiscal, focusing on infrastructure, health, and education, without proposing any increase in municipal taxes, on Monday.
Calling it an "inflated document", NCP (SP) district president Manoj Pradhan said the administration is struggling to survive on government grants.
Questioning the allocation of Rs 448 crore for new water tanks and pipelines, he said that Navi Mumbai has developed its own Morbe dam, but Thane still relies on Mumbai's taps.
While the income target for 2025-26 was Rs 920 crore, only Rs 536.35 crore was recovered by December 2025, resulting in a 40 per cent deficit, he said in a statement.
This year, they have assumed an income of Rs 1,200 crore, and based on current trends, a deficit of Rs 480 crore is inevitable, he warned.
Critiquing the Rs 223.56 crore health provision, Pradhan asked why administrative officers prefer private hospitals if TMC facilities are "world-class".
Regarding the Rs 364.27 crore education budget, he suggested that municipal school buildings be leased to private institutions on a PPP basis, with a condition to provide free education to 50 per cent of students to improve quality.
Pradhan also expressed disappointment over the omission of a memorial for Anand Dighe, noting that Rs 5 crore set aside previously has not been mentioned this year.