BBMP budget: MLAs want enough funds for three schemes

BBMP Administrator Rakesh Singh, BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta and other officials held meeting with ministers, MLAs and MLCs from Bengaluru ahead of the BBMP budget scheduled to be presented by the end of March 2022.

Elected representatives have sought “sufficient” funds for at least three schemes in the upcoming BBMP budget.

On Thursday, several of them attended a meeting called by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to discuss the budget. The meeting was called because the BBMP has been without an elected council since September 2020.

Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Development Department and BBMP administrator Rakesh Singh is expected to present the budget in March-end.

Also Read | BBMP owes Karnataka govt over Rs 1,000 crore in health cess payment

The three schemes are a) ‘Onti Mane’ housing project which offers Rs 5 lakh aid for SC/ST, OBC and minority groups; b) Grants for ward maintenance (Rs 2 crore for wards in the core area and Rs 3 crore for wards located beyond outer ring road) and c) Separate grants for the maintenance of parks.

In addition, MLAs also suggested that a part of the grants earmarked for the discretionary use of mayor and deputy mayor be set aside for families seeking help to pay medical bills. Some wanted the BBMP to pay special attention to improving the infrastructure in outer areas. Insufficient funds for new street lights was another matter of debate. There was also a suggestion to collect property tax from owners of houses that are currently outside the BBMP’s property tax ambit.

Senior BBMP officials reportedly tried to tell the elected representatives that the budget size would not cross Rs 9,000 crore, which is less than the 2021-22 budget. Officials are expected to be extra careful while finalising the revenue and expenditure for the new financial year as the state government has brought the BBMP under a special law to control fiscal indiscipline.

Horticulture Minister N Munirathna (RR Nagar MLA) and Excise Minister K Gopalaiah (Mahalakshmi Layout MLA) were present at the meeting.

Other attendees were MLAs S Suresh Kumar (Rajajinagar) and K J George (Sarvagnanagar), Byrathi Suresh (Hebbal), Rizwan Arshad (Shivajinagar), Sowmya Reddy (BTM Layout), Ravi Subramanya (Basavanagudi), R Manjunath (Dasarahalli), N A Haris (Shanthinagar) and MLC P R Ramesh.

Check out latest DH videos here