Citizens’ outfit accuses BBMP of squandering Rs 3 cr on park

The BBMP claims to have spent a whopping Rs 3 crore for developing a 5,000 square feet park in Jayanagar, the Bengaluru NavaNirmana Party (BNP) said.

The party has started the #LekkaBeku campaign to create awareness among citizens about the money being spent by the civic body in each ward “without any transparency,
citizen participation or accountability”.

The campaign also seeks to put pressure on the state government and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to give detailed accounts of the funds spent on development projects.

The BNP’s study revealed that the BBMP has allocated Rs 6.55 crore for 37 projects related to parks and improvement of surrounding areas for Jayanagar East Ward 170. The BBMP, however, spent more than 85 per cent of the grant (Rs 5.57 crore) to execute just six projects in the last five years.

Out of the six projects, Rs 3 crore had been spent on improving Nimhans park, the smallest in the area.

“Given the size of the park and improvements done, the amount spent does not seem reasonable,” the BNP said.

While Rs 1.5 crore was spent on fixing ornamental grills and other development works at the park, Rs 99 lakh was spent on improvements to the park and surrounding areas.

An additional project worth Rs 30 lakh was executed for providing a decorative pathway lighting system, the BNP has said.

Condemning the BBMP’s obscurity in development works, Mansoor, BNP’s ward leader from Jayanagar, said the civic body is spending crores of rupees on futile works. “There is lack of clarity on planning these development projects. Even after spending so much money, the parks are not well maintained. The equipment in the park do not work properly. Residents are not able to make full use of the parks,” he said.

Sajana Govindan, BNP’s ward leader for Jayanagar East, said the cost of establishing new parks would be cheaper than the amount spent in the name of repairs.

“Parks essentially have a fairly simple infrastructure and are economical recreational parks. The projects are planned and approved without consulting citizens.”

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