JOIN USAfter drawing much criticism over the shoddy handling of the Kempegowda Awards in the previous years, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) hopes to organise it better this year.
The awards are likely to be finalised by the first week of August. The MPED wing of the BBMP’s Project Central floated a short-term tender for the memento to be distributed.
The BBMP has decided to minimise the number of awardees this year. The short tender is for 75 units of a sculpture of Kempegowda in metal and fibre. The city’s founding father will be seen on horseback wielding his sword in the memento.
According to the civic body, the number of mementoes may increase based on the number of finalists. In 2018, the BBMP had distributed about 530 mementoes for awardees spending Rs 4.82 crore -- Rs 9,000 for each memento. Citing allegations on irregularities in the Kempegowda Awards distribution year after year, G Parameshwara, the former DCM, had formed a selection committee.
The ongoing political turmoil in the state government forced the BBMP to float the tender by the end of July. The Palike is not sure who will chair the aforementioned committee.
“We had earlier decided to float the tender for Kempegowda mementoes in the first week of August. However, officials decided a delay in finalising the matter would take more time due to changes in state politics. However, we can expect less number of awardees compared to the previous years,” mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun told DH.
Meanwhile, the BBMP has decided to organise the Kempegowda Day before August 15 as the mayoral term is scheduled to end in September. According to BBMP, the ceremony may be held on any day in the month of August.