The urban local bodies (ULB) in Uttar Pradesh have been witnessing an expanding kitty of revenues in recent years.
All the 762 ULBs in UP posted consolidated revenue of Rs 5,568 crore in the financial year 2024-25 against Rs 3,853 crore in 2023-24, a growth of almost 45 percent.
These ULBs comprise the municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats.
Mathura topped the list of UP urban local bodies with a 106 percent growth in revenues, followed by Jhansi 85 percent and Ghaziabad 72 percent.
The ULB posted total income of about Rs 2,494 crore in 2021-22; Rs 2,915 crore in 2022-23; Rs 3,853 crore in 2023-24; and Rs 5,568 crore in 2024-25.
With growing financial independence, the ULBs get more central assistance, benefiting from schemes like the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and the 15th Finance Commission.
Meanwhile, the total income of 17 municipal corporations in UP have jumped 46 percent to Rs 4,586 crore.
Against consolidated tax and non-tax kitty of Rs 3,140 crore in 2023-24, these 17 urban local bodies clocked revenues of Rs 4,586 crore in 2024-25, a stupendous year-on-year growth of 46 percent.
Lucknow topped the municipal corporations list with total revenue collection of about Rs 1,355 crore, followed by Kanpur Rs 721 crore and Ghaziabad Rs 610 crore.
The tax revenue of the 17 municipal corporations increased from Rs 2,235 crore in FY24 to Rs 2,870 crore in 2024-25, a rise of 28 percent increase.
Likewise, their non-tax revenue increased from about Rs 905 crore in 2023-25 to Rs 1,715 crore in FY25, registering a 90 percent increase.
According to UP urban development principal secretary Amrit Abhijat, the more revenue local bodies earn, the more central grants they could get to improve infrastructure and civic services in their respective areas.
The Yogi Adityanath government is also floated municipal bonds for Lucknow and Ghaziabad, while the proposal has already been approved for three more municipal corporations viz. Varanasi, Prayagraj and Agra.