Shimla: ₹688 Crore Budget Presented Amid Uproar, BJP Councillors Stage Walkout
For the first time in the capital Shimla, the Municipal Corporation’s annual budget was presented without the opposition present in the House. On Friday, BJP councillors raised slogans just before the budget presentation and later staged a walkout. Mayor Surender Chauhan then presented the budget at the Savings Hall in the presence of Congress councillors.
At 11:46 AM, as soon as the Mayor began reading the budget speech, BJP councillors started protesting. Councillors Saroj Thakur and Bittu Kumar demanded that the notification regarding the extension of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor’s tenure be shown. The BJP alleged that the Mayor’s two-and-a-half-year term had ended and that the budget was being presented unconstitutionally.
As tensions escalated, BJP councillors gathered in front of the Mayor’s seat and continued sloganeering. Despite the disruption, the Mayor continued his budget speech at 11:51 AM. The BJP councillors later walked out and met Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap, submitting a memorandum to be forwarded to the government.
Strategy Pre-Planned
Sources indicated that the BJP had already planned to protest during the budget speech. However, the walkout further intensified the political atmosphere throughout the day.
Key Budget Announcements
- Mayor Chauhan presented a surplus budget of ₹688 crore for the financial year 2026-27, compared to ₹188 crore last year. Major announcements included:
- Provision of sanitary napkins in all public toilets for women.
- Construction of feeding rooms for nursing mothers at Ridge and Mall Road.
- Introduction of food vans at 26 identified locations to promote self-employment among unemployed women and youth.
- Launch of e-carts in the core city area.
- Construction of parking facilities in every ward.
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