BMC budget: Old age home in Goregaon, lit skywalks and more in the offing

The BMC has made provisions to set up an old age home in Goregaon East apart from setting aside funds for equipment and other machinery for entertainment centres for the elderly. Representation pic

The BMC budget 2023, which has a focus on big ticket projects, also has many small initiatives for the different strata of Mumbaikars. These include an old age home in Goregaon, providing financial assistance to women seeking higher education abroad, skill development for the transgender community, training for maids and illuminating city skywalks, among other plans.

The budget announced by the civic administration on Saturday has several schemes for senior citizens. A provision of Rs 11.35 crore has been made to fund various equipment and leisure facilities to aid entertainment centres for the elderly.

Social schemes

Following a long-pending demand for an old age home, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had in December last year issued a work order to set it up near Raheja Ridgewood in Goregaon East. The civic body has set aside Rs 14.23 crore for the construction and the work is expected to be completed in 2024. This is BMC's first major project for senior citizens.

The Borivli skywalk is among the 13 in the city which have been taken up for illumination. File pic

The civic body has also set aside Rs 101 crore to provide financial assistance for the empowerment of women. Under this scheme, women from the lower sections of society can apply for funds to get a visa to study abroad as well as to buy sewing machines, flour mills, spice making machines, incense stick machines, etc. It also has provision for assistance to women to buy e-bikes or e-rickshaws for employment purposes.

In addition, there is also a fund to give incentives to district-level women sportspersons. The budget has also allocated money to train women in computers, marketing, stock market, stitching and karate. For women house helps, the BMC has decided to provide training in cooking, taking care of elderly people, etc, and R6.44 crore has been allocated for this.

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Apart from this, it has also made a provision of R2 crore to fund skill development and training of members of the transgender community.

Infra initiatives

BMC's 2023 budget estimates also mentioned illumination of the 13 skywalks in the city. The skywalks which connect to railway stations at Sion, Ghatkopar East, Ghatkopar West, Borivli, Wadala, Andheri East, Cotton Green, Bhandup, Santacruz East, Nana Chowk, Santacruz West, Goregaon and Vile Parle have been taken up for beautification. The total cost of the work is estimated at Rs 75 crore which includes 3 years of comprehensive maintenance after a 2-year warranty period.

The civic body has also made provisions to set up a solar power plant at Gorai dumping ground, which was closed in 2009. As per plans, the green energy generated at this plant will be used to power electric vehicle charging stations. Apart from this, setting up a world-class convention centre with a panoramic view of Gorai bay is under consideration.

Rs 75cr
Estimated cost to beautify city's skywalks

Rs 101 crore
Provision made for women empowerment schemes