Overview
- PMC’s general body approved a Bharat Mandapam–style convention centre at Lohgaon near the airport, voting 143–18 to repurpose land earlier reserved for a hospital, market, parking, roads and waterworks, with the proposal forwarded to the state government.
- Opposition leaders from Congress and Shiv Sena asked the state to reconsider or relocate the project, warning that scrapping long-standing civic reservations could strain traffic, basic services and the local environment.
- Following Tuesday’s budget presentation, the civic outlay for 2026–27 stands at ₹15,699 crore with health as the top focus, including a public‑private cancer hospital in Baner, IVF services at civic maternity homes and new multispecialty hospitals.
- To finance the larger plan, PMC mapped a near‑₹5,000 crore revenue boost that includes fees from shifting about 3,600 km of illegal overhead cables underground, stronger tax recovery, income from development in merged villages and renting select civic land for commercial use.
- The budget adds citywide measures with direct citizen impact, including a public‑private air‑pollution control system, a ‘Lake City’ water‑body program and a 50% bus fare cut for seniors on PMPML, alongside women‑focused steps such as Pink Rooms in municipal schools.