With no elected council, BBMP to consult legislators on budget

In the absence of an elected council, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has decided to consult MPs, MLAs and MLCs before finalising the city’s annual budget.

This is the second consecutive budget to be drafted by senior IAS officers, a departure from the BBMP’s normal functioning where the power to allocate funds lies with corporators.

Rakesh Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development Department, has called a meeting with the elected representatives on Thursday evening to discuss the budget. Singh, who is also the BBMP administrator, has also invited the heads of the BBMP’s finance, projects, health, revenue, solid waste management, welfare and administration departments.

Former councillors are, however, upset that erstwhile mayors and members of standing committees have been left out of such crucial meetings. “Only corporators know the pulse of the people, whether it’s about the lack of water supply or garbage issue. The job of the MPs and MLAs is to legislate and not interfere in the affairs of civic administration. The BBMP should consult former senior corporators first while preparing the budget,” said Abdul Wajid, a former corporator.

Also Read | Karnataka government brings BBMP into fiscal responsibility ambit

Wajid is among the petitioners who have approached the Supreme Court as the state government drags its feet over holding elections to the BBMP council, whose term had expired in September 2020. The hearing may take place on March 25.

It has been learnt that the BBMP is planning to drastically cut down the size of the budget to ensure fiscal discipline.

Rishvanjas Raghavan, a governing council member of the Bengaluru NavaNirmana Party, asked the BBMP to focus on paying the contractors on time so that the work quality does not suffer. “The BBMP owes contractors over Rs 3,200 crore and doesn’t seem to have a plan on how it will pay them. This issue has been keeping good contractors away from the BBMP and drawing a lot of nefarious contractors. A one-time clean-up of this backlog is necessary,” he explained.

Raghavan also asked the BBMP to make its accounts and audits from the past years public so that citizens know where the money is being spent. “This will enable us to evaluate the BBMP’s performance and bring in transparency,” he said.

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