Raipur Municipal Budget of ₹1,529 Cr Presented, Opposition Calls It a ‘Failure’

Raipur: Raipur Mayor Meenal Chaubey on Friday presented a ₹1,529.53 crore budget for the city, focusing on women’s welfare, digital transactions for street vendors, and infrastructure development.

The budget includes plans to build three working women’s hostels and restrooms equipped with sanitary vending machines and baby feeding rooms. Play zones for children and libraries for youth have also been announced.

To enhance women’s safety, surveillance cameras will be installed in public places, with ₹20 lakh allocated for the project. A ₹10 crore specially designed park for persons with disabilities will also be developed. Other projects include an electronic market, Crystal Arcade commercial hub, and Trade Tower.

Mayor Chaubey emphasized that unlike the previous administration’s ₹2,000 crore budget, where only ₹850 crore was utilized, the new budget is realistic and executable.

However, Opposition Leader Sandeep Sahu dismissed it as a “failure budget”, criticizing the lack of provisions for basic amenities, cow sanctuaries, and mosquito control measures. He pointed out that initiatives like Babu Ki Kutiya for senior citizens and open gyms were merely continued from previous budgets, questioning the BJP-led municipal administration’s commitment to change.