Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) is launching ‘My City My Budget’ programme

A new initiative to involve people in the preparation of the budget, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) is launching ‘My City My Budget’ programme in association with a Bengaluru-based non-profit organisation Janaagraha Centre For Citizenship and Democracy (JCCD). As part of the initiative, the corporation will receive inputs from citizens. the first phase of the programme, the ward volunteers would collect inputs from citizens over the requirements or basic amenities in their area relating to roads, drainage, footpath, parks, drinking water supply and others. Each volunteer would be given the responsibility to look after 50 to 100 houses and as part of this campaign, the volunteer would take inputs from 10 houses covering the locality or ward. Apart from volunteers, people can give their inputs through online.
Generally a corporation budget is prepared keeping in view the last year budget and observations by the officials, Engineering Department and others.But ‘My City My Budget’ is totally a community participation programme. Citizens will play a key role in making the city budget.
Janaagraha Centre For Citizenship and Democracy (JCCD) will also undertake a study on Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation finances and work towards improving its financial health. It would also strive to improve the civic body’s revenues using technical analysis and process improvements.

About My City My Budget
The project was launched as a pilot project in 2015, in a few wards in Bengaluru. In 2018-19, the campaign had received 93,411 inputs.