BBMP has liabilities of Rs 11,000 crore, says commissioner

 Painting a grim picture of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) financial health, the civic body’s commissioner M Lakshminarayana told its council on Friday that liabilities had gone up to Rs 11,000 crore.

Ahead of the BBMP Council meeting, a large number of BBMP contractors staged a demonstration on the Palike premises demanding payment of their dues. Sympathising with them, some corporators joined them.

Later, the corporators sought an explanation from the commissioner at the Council meeting as to why the contractors were forced to take to the streets for their money.

Pending bills

Replying to the Opposition’s allegation, the commissioner said pending bills were to the tune of Rs 2,163 crore while the spillover work was worth Rs 4,800 crore. Besides, the Palike has a debt of Rs 4,000 crore.

Lakshminarayana, however, assured the corporators as well as the contractors that he would make “every effort” to clear the dues in three months. He also added that the BBMP was making arrangements to clear the dues pertaining to solid waste management every three months.

Taking part in the discussion, Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya suggested that garbage clearance had been affected in his constituency as the contractor had failed to do his duty. The commissioner assured the MLA that he would look into the matter.

Tainted officers

As many as 34 tainted officials, who were either trapped by the Lokayukta police or are being investigated by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), are serving in the BBMP.

The matter came up for discussion when Nagapura corporator S Harish wanted to know why the tainted officers were allowed to work in key departments. “We were complaining about 45 engineers, mostly from PWD on deputation to the BBMP, in the Town Planning Department. We were told the TP department would be downsized but we recently got to know that its strength has actually swelled to 55. Why is there such a craze to get posted there,” he thundered.

The corporator claimed that 22 officials, whom the Lokayukta police are investigating for corruption, have been given plum posts. That’s not all. The BBMP’s Special Commissioner, Hemaji Nayak, told the council that there also were 12 others against whom the CID is conducting an enquiry.