Raipur Civic Body presents ₹2,130-cr budget: Focus on working women hostels, electronic markets
Raipur
Mayor Meenal Choube presented a ₹2,130.35 crore budget for the Raipur Municipal Corporation for the financial year 2026-27 on Monday. The budget session witnessed high drama as Congress councillors staged a protest, leading to heated exchanges in the House.
Key infrastructure and youth projects
The Mayor announced the construction of dedicated working women hostels at Pandri and Naraiya Talab. Taking inspiration from Nalanda Parisar, the civic body plans to develop a new library and a youth hostel.
To boost commercial infrastructure, electronic markets will be established in Shankar Nagar and Dumartarai. The corporation will issue a municipal bond of ₹100 crore to fund these constructions. The budget also proposes the installation of automated parking systems at the Municipal Corporation headquarters and Pandri.
Focus on safety
Addressing the rising crime rate, the Mayor stated that 268 cameras have been installed across the city at a cost of ₹1.40 crore to enhance surveillance and public safety.
Protests in the House
The proceedings were marked by a unique protest from the Congress councillor group. Opposition members entered the House carrying posters of unfulfilled promises and singing “Wada Tera Wada” to highlight pending works.
Speaker Suryakant Rathore expressed his displeasure and asked the councillors to remove the placards before starting the session. This led to a sharp argument between the Speaker and MIC member Manoj Verma regarding action against the protesting members.
Opposition terms budget “deceptive”
Leader of Opposition Akash Tiwari criticised the financial layout, claiming it ignored previous commitments.
“The Mayor has misled the public. There is no mention of the promised tax exemptions, and several projects from the previous budget remain incomplete,” Tiwari said.
