The Trinamul-run civic board at the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) managed to pass its annual budget of ₹685 crore for the fiscal of 2025-26 at the board meeting held on Thursday, despite protests and scepticism by the BJP and the Left Front.
“The annual budget of the next fiscal was passed today (on Thursday). During this fiscal, we will take up a slew of infrastructural projects across the city. We will also urge the Centre to declare Siliguri as a ‘city of national importance’ considering its geographical and strategic location and provide special grants for the city. A proposal would be sent to the central government through the state,” mayor Gautam Deb said after the meeting.
On Tuesday, Deb had tabled the budget with an estimated allocation of ₹685.24 crore, a record rise of around 48 per cent as compared allocation of ₹334.67 crore for the ongoing financial year.
In his speech on Thursday, mayor Deb brought up eco-sensitive zones. The SMC has stopped approving building plans for areas that are within a 5km radius of forests located in Siliguri’s vicinity, a decision made according to the directives of the National Green Tribunal.
“We are expecting some positive outcome on the issue. The area demarcation of the eco-sensitive zones has currently been halted. Once the areas are identified, the civic body could earn around ₹50 crore by approving building plans,” he said.
Those in the Opposition were sceptical of the budget in terms of funding and
job targets.
“The budget lacks planning and fund sources mentioned are mostly central grants. We doubt how much can be done without a concrete roadmap for infrastructural development,” said Amit Jain, the leader of the Opposition in the SMC and a BJP councillor.
Bengali signboards
The SMC made it mandatory to use Bengali signboards in all shops and establishments across the civic area. On March 18, the civic board issued a notice saying it was compulsory to put up signboards in Bengali in shops, shopping malls, offices, restaurants, hotels, private clinics and diagnostic centres, along with other languages of choice, within April 14.