VARANASI, March 23 -- The proposed budget of Rs.2,575.42 crore for the Varanasi Nagar Nigam (VNN) and Jalkal department for the financial year 2026-27 was approved on Sunday during a meeting of the VNN executive which mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari presided over. The figure comprises an estimated budget of Rs.2,262.42 crore for the VNN and Rs.313.02 crore for the Jalkal department. To make the city waste-free, Rs.66.17 crore has been allocated under the door-to-door waste collection and user charges head, aiming to increase the utilisation of modern machinery in sanitation operations. The budget allocated for the Jalkal department strongly emphasises installing new tube wells and laying sewer lines. The primary focus is on repairing old tube wells, expanding new pipelines and modernizing sewer pumping stations. A special budgetary provision has been made for beautifying the city's parks and green spaces. A provision of Rs.21 crore has been made under the electricity and energy head to illuminate dark streets and alleys. The atmosphere in the House remained largely positive throughout the budget session. As soon as deputy chairman Narsingh Das presented the budget proposals, municipal commissioner Himanshu Nagpal provided point-by-point clarification to the queries raised by corporators. Specific funds have been earmarked for the operation of sewer pumping stations and the cleaning of pipelines. Additionally, funding has also been increased for maintaining new sewer lines laid under the AMRUT scheme. During the session, corporators raised the issue of the dilapidated condition of traditional water sources (wells) within the city. The mayor administered the oath of office and secrecy to 10 corporators nominated by the government. Those who took the oath included Kamlesh Pal, Ramshankar Singh Patel, Sanjeev Chaurasia, Santosh Sholapurkar, Manoj Yadav, Krishna Kumar, Ankur Mehrotra, Munna Saroj, Satyanarayan Sahani and Sudhir Kumar Tripathi....