BMC Budget 2025 LIVE Updates: BMC allocates Rs 1,000 crore for funds-starved BEST in budget
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday allocated Rs 1,000 crore for the funds-starved Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) in its budget for the 2025-2026 financial year, pointing out that it has provided Rs 11,304.59 crore to the undertaking since 2012-13. The BEST runs nearly 3,000 buses in Mumbai, catering to lakhs of commuters daily. According to the BMC, these financial provisions are part of ongoing efforts to modernise Mumbai’s transport infrastructure and improve the city’s public transportation system. This grant will be utilised for infrastructure development, the purchase of new capital equipment, repayment of loans, and the procurement of buses on a wet lease basis. It will also cover pay revisions, day-to-day expenses, the ITMS (Intelligent Traffic Management System) project, Diwali bonuses for employees, and dues for pensioners and gratuity.