Firhad Hakim tables deficit budget of 111 crores; focus on service and healthcare | Watch

Mayor Firhad Hakim on Friday tabled the Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s 2026–27 budget with a deficit of ₹111 crore, setting off a political confrontation between the ruling board and the opposition. With the state heading into Assembly elections, the budget drew attention not only for its deficit figures but also for the Mayor’s reference to the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme during his speech, prompting criticism from the Left and BJP.

For the 2026–27 financial year, projected revenue has been estimated at ₹5,791.43 crore, while expenditure is pegged at ₹5,902.43 crore, leaving a shortfall of ₹111 crore. In comparison, the 2025–26 budget initially recorded a deficit of ₹114.72 crore, later revised to ₹122 crore. The latest figures indicate only a marginal reduction of around ₹3 crore in the deficit.

Hakim highlighted that around 7.83 lakh women in Kolkata benefit from Lakshmir Bhandar, including 1.3 lakh new beneficiaries. The scheme’s allocation was recently enhanced in the state’s final budget of the term, raising the monthly assistance from ₹1,000 to ₹1,500. As this marks the last full-fledged budget of Hakim’s second term as Mayor, he underlined welfare outreach alongside civic priorities such as services and healthcare.

However, opposition councillors questioned the emphasis on a state-run welfare scheme in a municipal budget speech. They argued that core civic concerns, including drainage, roads and basic services, deserved greater prominence. The deficit figure and political exchanges have intensified the pre-election debate over fiscal management and civic governance in Kolkata.