Surat: The Standing Committee of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has approved a budget of ₹11,301 crore for the financial year 2026–27. The Municipal Commissioner had presented a draft budget of ₹10,593 crore, which the ruling body increased by ₹708 crore while emphasising development works and public welfare schemes. Notably, no new taxes have been imposed on citizens for the third consecutive year.

Infrastructure push and civic facilities

To accelerate urban development, the Standing Committee has provided an additional ₹656 crore for flyovers, roads, and drainage projects. Aadhaar card centres will be established in all 30 wards to improve administrative convenience. Furthermore, the grant provided to housing societies for cleanliness has been increased to ₹1.5 per square metre, and ₹25 crore has been allocated to provide basic facilities at religious institutions.

Major benefits for women: Tax exemption and free travel

One of the key decisions in the budget is the complete exemption from property tax for widows receiving assistance from the state government. In addition, announcements include free travel in city buses and BRTS on Raksha Bandhan and Women’s Day, construction of 250 new pink toilets across the city, and the establishment of a ‘Surti Haat Bazaar’ for women artisans.

Relief for senior citizens and support for students

Senior citizens have been granted free travel in BRTS buses, offering significant financial relief. In the education sector, 1.99 lakh students from 362 schools under the Nagar Primary Education Committee will receive sports uniforms at a cost of ₹15 crore. Funds have also been allocated to introduce high-tech laboratories and AR/VR technology in 20 schools. DeshGujarat