Clean up your act in 3 months or face the music: CM to Palike

Raps BBMP for garbage problem, poor finances, unrealistic budgets

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday issued a stern warning to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to clean up its act within three months or face the music.

The warning came on the occasion of Kempegowda Day, an event organised by the BBMP to remember the City’s founder. Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers H N Ananth Kumar, Transport and District In-charge Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Mayor B S Satyanarayana, his deputy Indira, MLAs and corporators were in attendance.

Recalling Bangalore’s glorious past, Siddaramaiah reprimanded the Palike administration for the poor financial management and its failure to find a viable solution to the garbage problem.

“We had sought one year’s time from the Mandur residents which has lapsed. We had to beg them for five more months,” the chief minister fumed. “If we fail to keep our promise, we will have to hang our heads in shame. To retain our honour and self-esteem, we must work for five months to rid Mandur of the garbage problem, or else the people will take to the streets again.”

Siddaramaiah welcomed the Union government’s decision to set up waste composting projects in Bangalore to reduce the garbage problem.

“Being Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers, Ananth Kumar can help us find a solution to the garbage problem. If needed, we can enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU),” he added.

The chief minister asked the Palike administration to strictly implement segregation of waste at source. He sought to know whether plastic could be banned to reduce the garbage problem. Referring to the huge gap between receipts (of revenue) and expenditure, Siddaramaiah took the Palike administration to task for the unrealistic budget, which was never achieved.

Extravagant budgets

“Last year, you had aimed to generate Rs 2,500 crore from property tax but only Rs 1,300 crore could be achieved, although there is a scope to generate Rs 4,000 crore. Your budgets are so unrealistic that hardly 25 per cent of the targets is achieved. Such extravagant budgets are prepared to show the world how gigantic your financial condition is,” Siddaramaiah said, seething.

He then went on to recall how he had achieved 100 per cent revenue every year as finance minister. “If the State can achieve 98 per cent revenue target, Bangalore can also do it. You (BBMP) should plug fund leakage.” The chief minister also criticised the Palike authorities for relying on the State government, even though the BBMP has the potential to generate revenue.

He accepted the suggestion by Kumar to instal a statue of Kempegowda at the Kempegowda International Airport.

51 more get Kempegowda Award

The number of Kempegowda Award winners has gone up to 187 — 51 more than what the Mayor announced on Thursday. The Palike, which had decided to limit the number of awardees to 50 on Tuesday, increased it to 75 by Wednesday. But on Thursday, Mayor B S Satyanarayana said the list had swelled to 136.

Aspirants are learnt to have brought tremendous pressure on the Palike authorities to get the award, which carries a purse of Rs 12,000, a citation and shawl.