Nagpur: Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) zonal budgeting process is set to face another delay after the model code of conduct for the MLC graduates’ constituency election came into force.
Standing Committee meeting scheduled for Sept 24 will have to be deferred, further shrinking the time available to implement civic works planned for the current financial year. The delay assumes significance as nearly seven months of the 2026-27 financial year will have elapsed by the time the poll code is lifted on Oct 31, leaving the civic body barely five months to complete approvals, tendering, issue work orders and execute projects. The Nehru Nagar budget has been held up amid allegations of irregularities in the zone’s 2025-26 budget, adding another layer to the delay. Standing Committee agenda shows that Mangalwari Zone has proposed Rs22.32 crore, including Rs12.17 crore under revenue expenditure and Rs10.15 crore under capital expenditure. Satranjipura Zone has proposed Rs18.78 crore, comprising Rs11.47 crore in revenue and Rs7.31 crore in capital expenditure. Gandhibagh Zone has proposed Rs21.80 crore for 2026-27. The election code will also affect routine civic decision-making across NMC till Oct 31.
Because of the model code of conduct, leaving corporators across political parties miffed, budgets of six of NMC’s 10 zones have already been passed, but the civic administration has been unable to float tenders for works under these allocations. Because of MLC bypolls, they pointed out that NMC’s main budget, which was expected to be presented in May, had itself been delayed. For the civic administration, the immediate challenge is therefore twofold — clear the four pending zonal budgets once the code ends and simultaneously push ahead with works for the six zones whose budgets have already been approved.
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Satranjipura and Mangalwari have reached the Standing Committee agenda, the Nehru Nagar budget is yet to be submitted before the committee While the budgets of Gandhibagh. Earlier delays in preparing and submitting the budgets had already pushed back local development works.