Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) has tabled a ₹188 crore budget for 2025-26, filled with grand announcements, but once again, no clear roadmap for revenue generation.
While the budget boasts of expanding free doorstep health testing services, introducing e-carts for heritage tours, and ensuring a regular water supply with Sutlej river water by June, the big question remains—where will the money come from?
Budget Without a Revenue Spine?
Just like last year, the Congress-led SMC has played safe by relying on government grants.
There’s no mention of introducing entry fees for tourists, imposing waste management charges, or tapping into central funds under the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) scheme.
Given Shimla’s high tourist influx and mounting waste management problems, ignoring these potential revenue sources seems like a major oversight.
Grand Plans, But Who Pays?
The budget proposes a ₹500 crore multi-purpose complex at the vegetable market, featuring municipal offices, parking, and commercial spaces.
But with SMC’s financial dependence on state funds, how realistic is this plan? Will it ever see the light of day, or is it just another election-year gimmick?
Similarly, the initiative to plant 5,000 saplings by women’s self-help groups, develop natural trails, install portable toilets, and introduce electric vehicles for garbage collection sounds promising. But without a self-sustaining financial model, these plans risk remaining on paper.
What About Businesses and Citizens?
Traders and residents were hoping for some relief in this budget—perhaps a tax reduction, business-friendly measures, or concrete steps to address stray animals and traffic congestion.
Instead, the budget largely ignores these pressing issues. Even senior citizens, who struggle with mobility and healthcare access, find no mention in the corporation’s financial plan.
Political Show, or Real Progress?
While the ruling dispensation hails the budget as a people-centric one, critics argue it’s a well-wrapped bundle of promises with little substance.
Unless the SMC actively seeks new revenue streams and financial autonomy, Shimla’s urban management will remain in limbo—big plans, zero execution.
