Vapi Municipal Corporation to present Rs 650 crore budget: First historic budget after becoming a metropolis from panchayat

The Vapi Municipal Corporation is preparing to present a budget of around Rs 650 crore for the financial year 2026-27. Commissioner Yogesh Choudhary's team is finalising the budget. Compared to the previous budget of Rs 150 crore, the size of this budget is likely to increase four times. In the coming days, the budget of the Vapi Municipal Corporation will be presented to Administrator Bhavya Verma, in which provisions for the people will be announced. The Vapi Municipal Corporation consists of a total of 13 villages, including Chanod, Dungra, Balitha and Salvav. These areas still lack basic amenities. The new budget is likely to see substantial allocation for facilities like sewer lines, street lights and pucca roads for these villages. Traffic congestion at GIDC crossroads and major markets in the city is a major challenge. According to sources, a big provision may be made in the budget for new flyovers or underpasses. Apart from this, emphasis will also be laid on new water tanks and filter plants to solve the problem of water in summer. Even before the budget is presented, there is a political heat. The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have taken an aggressive stance on this budget. Congress leader Sagar Boga said, "After becoming a metropolis, people's expectations are very high, but the system only shows figures on paper. The roads are bad and the lights are off. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) district president Jitubhai Desai said, "Vapi despite being Asia's largest industrial hub is lagging behind in terms of facilities. If this budget is meant to nurture corruption, we will strongly oppose it." These include iconic road and junction development for transport, free Wi-Fi and CCTV network under Smart Cities, construction of 5 new oxygen parks and gardens for the environment, hi-tech municipal hospitals and smart schools for health, and modernization of door-to-door garbage collection for sanitation. Apart from this, it is also expected to increase the city bus network and create new bus stands. Is the sword of tax hike hanging? The biggest fear among ordinary citizens is 'corporation tax'. After the formation of the municipal corporation, the administrative costs will increase, to meet which there is a fear of new taxes. However, it remains to be seen whether the BJP-ruled municipality will provide tax relief from the election counts.