India, Feb. 5 -- The financially beleaguered Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has been allocated Rs.1,000 crore in this year's Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) budget, a mere 1.34% of the total outlay of Rs. 74,427.41 crore. BEST union leaders criticised the meagre allocation and said they would soon meet chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and ask him to merge BEST's budget with that of BMC.

"Although BMC itself has huge requirement of funds towards its ongoing projects and other important objectives, a total provision of Rs.1,000 crore is proposed in 2025-26 as a grant to BEST considering its financial position," said BMC's budget document.

BEST's losses in 2025-26 stood at Rs.2,200 crore while its ov...