BBMP silent over CAG’s letters to check wrong payments

Accessing public information is proving to be daunting for no less a body than the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which got no response for its three letters to the BBMP.

Rs 1.25 crore as GST

In the letters directed to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) via the Urban Development Department (UDD), the government auditor has questioned the rationale behind paying Rs 1.25 crore as Goods and Services tax (GST) to government-exempted services.

The CAG discovered the anomalies as it audited the accounts of the BBMP South Zone (2012 to 2019), Bommanahalli Zone (2017-2019), and West Zone (Rs 2018-19).

The auditor dispatched its first letter in April this year and followed it up with a reminder in July.

The UDD attached the two CAG letters and sent a reminder in October with a warning.

During the audit, the CAG found that the BBMP’s three zones were making tax payments to private agencies for supplying manpower although these services are exempted under GST.

The CAG has been auditing several sections of the BBMP, including the stormwater drain department and has exposed irregularities, shortcomings, and gaps in planning by the civic body.

But the Palike and the government has done little or nothing to fix the issues.