At Rs20.21cr, NMC hikes civic poll budget by a record 167%
Nagpur: With the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) functioning without an elected general body since March 2022, the civic administration has steadily increased its budgetary provision for holding the impending 2025-26 civic polls, earmarking a record Rs20.21 crore.
This allocation marks a significant 167% rise over the Rs7.56 crore spent during the last civic elections held in 2017 and a 242% increase compared to the Rs5.90 crore spent in 2012. The enhanced provision also reflects a 68.4% jump from the Rs12 crore NMC used to routinely set aside since 2021-22. However, with no elections announced until now, the civic body was diverting the earmarked funds towards providing basic amenities during mid-year budget revisions.
Municipal commissioner and administrator Abhijeet Chaudhari, who presented a Rs5,438.61 crore budget for the 2025-26 fiscal, increased the provision anticipating State Election Commission (SEC) announcing the long-delayed polls this year. The new poll provision accounts for about 0.37% of NMC's total budget.
A senior official from NMC's election department told TOI that the steep hike in allocation was based on the expected cost escalation due to inflation, increased staff deployment, technology use, polling logistics, and more polling stations.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Cervecería Nacional CFD: Calcula cuánto podrías ganar invirtiendo solo $100
Empieza a invertir
Inscríbete ahora
Undo
"In 2012, the civic polls cost Rs5.90 crore which jumped to Rs7.56 crore in 2017. Considering the rise in operational and administrative costs, Rs20.21 crore has been earmarked this time," the official said.
The govt has now ordered ward delimitation, reviving expectations of elections after three years. Once delimitation is finalised, the SEC is expected to issue the election schedule.
Civic activists have welcomed the increased allocation but warned that elections must be held without delay. "This year's enhanced poll provision shows the administration is preparing seriously," said a source. However, the election department has a staff strength of only four officials. Even though election procedures have already commenced, the civic administration is yet to increase the manpower required for the election process.
Sources said the department needs at least a workforce of 20, including computer operators. An official privy to the development admitted the shortage of manpower and clarified that the manpower too would be enhanced in a couple of days.
Follow more information on
Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here
. Get
real-time live updates
on rescue operations and check
full list of passengers onboard AI 171
.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Flying suitcases packed with Hard Drives to China, taking hundreds of servers on rent and ...: How Chinese AI companies dodge US chip ban
(AI image) In a bid to bypass stringent U.S. restrictions on advanced AI chips, Chinese companies are resorting to innovative workarounds, including processing data abroad. According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, in early March, four Chinese engineers traveled from Beijing to Malaysia, each carrying a suitcase with 15 hard drives containing 80 terabytes of data for training an AI model. At a Malaysian data center, the engineers utilized approximately 300 servers equipped with Nvidia's advanced chips to develop the AI model, which they later brought back to China. Smuggling AI hardware Since 2022, the U.S. has tightened export controls on high-end AI chips to China, citing national security concerns. According to WSJ report, these restrictions have limited Chinese firms' access to cutting-edge American technology, prompting them to explore alternatives. Some have substituted domestic chips for American ones, while others have smuggled AI hardware through third countries. However, increased U.S. pressure has made smuggling more challenging, pushing Chinese companies to process data outside China in regions like Southeast Asia and the Middle East. 'This was something we were consistently concerned about,' said Thea Kendler, former head of export controls at the Commerce Department under the Biden administration, referring to Chinese firms' remote access to U.S. AI chips, told WSJ. The process involves layers of intermediaries, obscuring whether U.S. regulations are being violated. The Biden administration proposed country-specific caps on American chip purchases to curb such activities, but the Trump administration scrapped these in May, citing unnecessary regulatory burdens on U.S. companies like Nvidia. Instead, it issued guidance urging firms to prevent their chips from being used to train Chinese AI models. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo How and why China uses countries in Southeast Asia as base In Malaysia, the Chinese company's operation required meticulous planning. Engineers reportedly spent over eight weeks optimizing data sets in China, as transferring large data volumes online could take months. Last July, the company worked through a Singaporean subsidiary but later registered a Malaysian entity to avoid scrutiny after Nvidia and its vendors intensified end-user audits. To evade suspicion at Malaysian customs, the engineers distributed hard drives across four suitcases, a shift from bundling them into one the previous year. They returned to China with several hundred gigabytes of model parameters guiding the AI system's output. Southeast Asia is reported to be emerging as a hub for such activities, with data centers rapidly expanding. Jones Lang LaSalle estimates nearly 2,000 megawatts of data-center capacity in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia -- matching Europe's largest markets. Malaysia's AI chip imports from Taiwan surged to $3.4 billion in March and April, exceeding its 2024 total. Meanwhile, the Middle East is also becoming a destination for Chinese AI developers, with Nvidia recently announcing significant chip sales to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE. These maneuvers highlight the challenges of enforcing U.S. export controls as Chinese companies exploit global data centers to access American technology. While Southeast Asian authorities, like Singapore's, are cracking down on transshipments, the region's booming infrastructure continues to attract both Western and Chinese clients, testing the limits of regulatory oversight. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
Fans online plan National Barack Obama Day on Donald Trump's birthday — what's it all about?
People online are planning to make June 14 a new " Barack Obama Day ." June 14 is actually President Donald Trump's birthday, not Obama's. The plan is to celebrate Obama on Trump's birthday as a kind of protest against Trump. Barack Obama's actual birthday is August 4. The new celebration on June 14 is planned because people want to protest Trump's military parade on that day, which is also Flag Day . The parade will start at 6:30 p.m. ET and go on for three hours until 9:30 p.m. The parade route is on Constitution Avenue NW, between 15th Street and 23rd Street in Washington, D.C, according to the report by Newsweek. Guests can watch the parade either along the route or from the Washington Monument Grounds. Officials told Business Insider that about 200,000 people are expected to watch the parade. Around 6,700 soldiers will join, including active duty, reserve troops, special forces, and the National Guard. Some soldiers will wear old-style uniforms to honor history, according to reports. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Top 25 Most Beautiful Women In The World Articles Vally Undo The Washington Post reported that Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport will close for several hours on June 14 because of the parade, as stated by Newsweek. This will affect over 100 flights and thousands of passengers. On the same day, about 1,800 protests are planned all over the U.S., expecting millions of people to join. Barack Obama Day on Trump's Birthday The idea of celebrating "Barack Obama Day" on June 14 started around 2020 on social media platforms like X. Hashtags like "All Birthdays Matter" and "Obama Day June 14th" were popular in 2020 to honor Obama on Trump's birthday. There are already two official "Barack Obama Days", One is on Obama's real birthday, August 4, celebrated in Illinois since 2018. Illinois made it official in 2017, as stated by Newsweek. Live Events Since 2009, Perry County, Alabama, has made November 10 a special day when county offices close and workers get a paid day off. President Trump said in May on a show. Meet the Press that he sees the parade as a Flag Day event, not really his birthday celebration. He said the parade was "put together" by someone else and that June 14 is a very important day, as per reports. White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told Newsweek that Trump is looking forward to the 250th Birthday Parade for the U.S. Army. The parade is to honor soldiers who are serving, veterans, and those who died. She invited all Americans to thank the military, according to the report by Newsweek. Many protests will take place across the country on June 14, with millions expected to attend. A map showing the cities hosting protests is available. FAQs Q1. Why celebrate Barack Obama Day on June 14? It is to protest Donald Trump on his birthday. Q2. What is the June 14 parade about? It is a military parade to honor the U.S. Army and Flag Day.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
NIA takes over probe into murder of Hindu activist Suhas Shetty
Mangaluru : A team from the National Investigation Agency ( NIA ) arrived here on Saturday to formally take over the investigation into the murder of Hindu activist Suhas Shetty, who was killed in Bajpe town on May 1. The team, led by NIA Deputy Superintendent of Police Pawan Kumar, has begun coordinating with local police. Mangaluru police confirmed the arrival of the NIA team and said preliminary information has been shared with the City Crime Branch (CCB) officials. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2 Simple Profitable Strategies That Can Make You 5K Per Day thefutureuniversity Learn More Undo The Union Ministry of Home Affairs recently transferred the case to the NIA. According to official sources, the Ministry has directed the federal agency to investigate the " targeted killing " of Shetty describing it as an act intended to "create terror in the minds of people". Live Events Citing a home ministry communique in this regard, the sources said the accused involved in the murder case are allegedly members of the Popular Front of India (PFI), a banned outfit. Several state BJP leaders have demanded an NIA probe into the murder. Police sources too said Shetty was allegedly murdered by a group of eight youths, with suspected links to the banned Popular Front of India (PFI). According to police the Investigating officer of the CCB is processing the handing over of the case to the NIA.
