JOIN USHelipads, bungalows for the mayor and the commissioner, tabs for all 198 corporators, 400 WiFi zones, bus stands where only Kannada is used and a wooden skywalk are some of the major programmes announced in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahangara Palike (BBMP) budget 2018-19 on Wednesday.
With Assembly elections round the corner, the budget presented by JD(S) member M Mahadev, who is also the chairman of the standing committee on Tax and Finance, the budget focused more on social welfare schemes while just reiterating infrastructure projects mentioned in the state budget.
Eight helipads for air ambulances, the longest five-way "engineered" wooden pedestrian skywalk at Hudson Circle under PPP model, construction of a 'Kannada Bus Stand' to promote Kannada with WiFi and toilet facilities, free WiFi hotspots at 400 major roads, and construction of a 'dobhi' ghat at a cost of Rs 1 crore were announced.
A special fund of Rs 5 crore to build bungalows for the mayor and the commissioner named 'Mayor Nivas' and 'Commissioner Nivas' respectively was announced. The budget also proposed setting aside Rs 60 lakh to procure two cars to be used during visits of any national or international dignitaries. All councillors will be given
a digital tab.
Construction of multi-storied apartments for backward classes and minorities at a cost of Rs 80 crore on a public-private partnership basis, construction of ramps in all BBMP offices for the physically challenged, schools and colleges for specially challenged people, free meals for 'pourakarmikas' in Indira Canteens, opening 'Janoushada' counters at all Indira Canteens and in BBMP hospitals are some of the schemes announced.
But there were no new announcements to ease traffic, except for the projects that were announced during the state budget earlier in the month.
The social welfare schemes that were announced during the previous year's budget have not been implemented so far and the issue was even raised at the monthly council meeting of January. An amount of Rs 772 crore was allotted in 2017-18 to distribute free laptops, sewing machines and iron boxes.
BBMP commissioner N Manjunath Prasad, however, said that around 76% of the previous year's budget has been implemented. "When compared to the previous year, this year, we have taken up Rs 100 crore worth projects and we have completed at least 76% of the work," he said.
With a total outlay of Rs 9,322.48 crore, this is a surplus budget for the year 2018-19. In an effort to make this a realistic budget, the BBMP is targeting a revenue of Rs 6,207.14 crore as against previous year's Rs 9,995.81 crore, which was later revised to Rs 7,513.98 crore. Most of the revenue is expected from the state government grants this year (Rs 3,665.31 crore, 39%) apart from tax collections amounting to 30%.