11 BJP-ruled constituencies get Rs 255-cr grant

Eleven Assembly constituencies, which are all represented by BJP MLAs, have received a total of Rs 255 crore for undertaking development works. The grant was earmarked for the discretionary use of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in the 2022-23 BBMP budget.

No grant was shared with the constituencies that are represented either by the Congress or the JD(S). The funds allocated are in addition to the Rs 8,200 crore the government distributed to all Assembly constituencies last year.

Of the Rs 255 crore, RR Nagar, KR Puram and Yeshwantpur has received Rs 40 crore each, indicating the clout enjoyed by S T Somashekar, N Munirathna and Byrathi Basavaraj with the chief minister. Bengaluru South and Bommanahalli received Rs 30 crore each.

While Padmanabhanagar gets Rs 20 crore, Yelahanka received Rs 15 crore. The remaining four constituencies — CV Raman Nagar, Mahalakshmi Layout, Chickpet and Malleswaram — received Rs 10 crore each. Interestingly, constituencies such as Mahadevapura, Rajajinagar, Basavanagudi — represented by BJP MLAs — did not receive any share.

No record

In the BBMP’s 2022-23 budget, over Rs 400 crore was set aside for the discretionary use.

In the absence of a mayor and standing committee chairpersons, Rakesh Singh, Additional Chief Secretary of the Urban Development Department, has been administering the rights for grants worth Rs 100 crore. The remaining Rs 50 crore has been allotted to the BBMP chief commissioner.

There is, however, no public record of how this money is being spent.