The aim is to decentralise the financial authority, so that even if there is a Trinamool Congress-run board in 2010, the CPM-managed borough offices will not face any financial discrimination. Also, awarding financial autonomy to the 15 boroughs will smoothen the way for projects already undertaken by KMC.

“There is a fear that if the civic board changes and the Opposition comes to power, projects taken up by the

existing board may suffer. So, to ensure developmental projects continue, we have decided to grant financial autonomy to the boroughs. This way, the boroughs will not have to wait for fund-allotment from the headquarters,” said a senior official of the Municipal Affairs and Urban Development department.

“Decentralisation of financial power is a part of law. Earlier also, we had tried to make the boroughs financially independent. However, due to some political reasons and objections raised by some councillors, we could not do it. But this time, the board of councillors has passed the proposal,” said Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya.

Financial autonomy will help the borough to continue with projects even if the next civic board tries to stop those, he added.

According to a KMC official, under this proposal, borough offices will prepare their own accounts of income and expenditure. The draft budget will be submitted to the civic authorities and then included in the main budget of the KMC.

Repair works taken up by boroughs at different levels will be included in the budget, the official added. In this regard, a circular dated December 15 — issued by Municipal Commissioner Arnab Roy — has already been sent to the borough executive officers.

Among the 15 borough offices in Kolkata, boroughs 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 fall under the added areas of KMC, which include Garden Reach, Behala and Jadavpur. Earlier, only these five borough offices would prepare their budgets and submit them to the KMC, which were separately included in the civic body’s main budget.

Plans for granting financial autonomy to the boroughs is a major part of the capacity building and the decentralisation drive undertaken by KMC in the recent years.

Under the borough strengthening plan, the KMC intends to give more administrative and financial powers to the boroughs.