Better drainage, unclogged sewerage system and illuminated streets could be a reality in the city with Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) significantly increasing the funds allotment for most of the civic amenities in its budget.

The corporation board put its seal on the Rs 49.08-crore deficit budget on Thursday. Thereafter, it was sent to the state government for approval.

The civic body anticipated revenue of Rs 227,64,68,372 in the next financial year. The total expenses have been pegged at Rs 276,73,45,966.

The PMC will spend around Rs 33.14 crore on construction and maintenance of roads and culverts. Last year, the grant under this head was just about Rs 8 crore.

People can also expect sparkling roads at night. Rs 1 crore has been earmarked for installing 220 high-mast lights and 1,100 street lamps in 72 wards.

Twenty-five new parks are also on the cards. About Rs 2.55 crore would be spent on developing them.

Compared to the current financial year, a huge amount of money — Rs 11. 24 crore — would be spent in the next fiscal on repairing and maintaining the water supply system in the city.

While the corporation spent only about Rs 2 crore on cleaning the streets this fiscal, over Rs 7.05 crore would be spent in the next.

As many as 50,000 manhole covers would be bought to cover catch pits, posing threat to commuters. The civic body would also construct new buildings by spending around Rs 10 crore.

There has been a slight increase in the sum earmarked for solid waste management. From Rs 22.7 crore, the fund has been increased to Rs 23.09 crore for the next financial year. The ward development fund remained unaltered at Rs 10.8 crore.

The budget looks promising on paper. But compensating the deficit would be a huge challenge for the civic body.

“It is expected that the budget deficit will be compensated by the revenue collected as advertisement tax and from the mobile companies for installing cellphone towers and. It will help the corporation better civic amenities as enlisted in the budget provisions,” the document prepared by the accounts department of the civic body in consultation with the private agency, Urban Technical Assistance Support Team, says.

The budget for the next financial year anticipates collection of 75 per cent taxes against the current demands and 60 per cent against the outstanding demands.

The PMC budget urged the state government to decide the rates of water and fire taxes according to the Bihar Municipal Act, 2007. It has also sought the tax structure for charging builders if there is no parking lot in a commercial complex.

The rules for these taxes are yet to be laid down, due to which the civic body cannot collect these taxes at present.

Apart from these, the civic body has also proposed to increase its share in the registration of property in the state capital from 2 per cent to 5 per cent.

In the last budget, the civic body had proposed to revise the minimum registration value of assets in the corporation area. The government accepted it. The new rates would be notified tomorrow.

The last year’s budget had also proposed 2 per cent road tax on entry of vehicles in the corporation limits. There was proposal to collect facility tax from vendors also. The government is expected to notify them soon.