Congress councillors have urged the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) to extend the upcoming budget meeting, scheduled for April 3, to two days to allow for detailed discussions on key civic issues.

The councillors have written to the Mayor-in-Council (MiC), highlighting the need for more time to thoroughly review the budget and address critical public concerns.

Leader of Opposition Shabista Zaki criticised the MiC for failing to finalise and present the budget by March 31, which she claims violates established protocols. She questioned the basis for convening the meeting without an approved budget, raising concerns over procedural irregularities.

The current agenda, issued on March 28, includes only two items: the proposal for additional expenditure on the construction of the municipal headquarters and the discussion and approval of the budget.

In response, Congress councillors have termed this limited focus as a violation of norms, stating that several important issues related to municipal governance are being ignored.

They are demanding the inclusion of key topics such as sanitation, sewage management, water supply, and the maintenance of public toilets across the city’s 85 wards. Additionally, they seek decisions to increase the number of sanitation workers, set fixed timelines for timely salary payments to municipal employees, and include proposals concerning the promotion of temporary, semi-skilled, daily-wage, and skilled employees.

Senior Congress councillor Yogendra Singh 'Guddu' Chauhan has said that extending the meeting to two days would allow for comprehensive discussions, ensuring all critical issues are adequately addressed and necessary amendments to the budget are made for effective governance.