BBMP ‘squandering’ Rs 3,661-crore govt grant on minor works

Credit: DH Graphic

Much of the Rs 3,661-crore grant that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is getting from the state government will go towards “small works”, each amounting to less than Rs 1 crore.

This is a departure from standard practice: the government allocates funds for large infrastructure works, while BBMP uses its own funds for minor works.

Works now approved include repairing small roads, installing gym equipment and re-developing parks.

The Rs 3,661 crore is part of the Rs 6,000-crore grant announced by the government under its Amrut Nagarothana programme.

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The BBMP is in the process of selecting firms to execute works finalised by MLAs of the respective constituencies.

The government order insists that at least 50 per cent of the works be large infrastructure projects, but the BBMP is throwing this clause to the wind.

A major concern among citizens is that minor works don’t really help improve the city’s crumbling infrastructure. The BBMP, on the other hand, loves small works as they can be executed quickly, and payments can be cleared without delay.

This is similar to what happened when the government allocated Rs 8,016 crore to the BBMP in 2018-19.

N Manjunath Prasad, now principal secretary to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, had returned as BBMP commissioner, and complained to then Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar in October 2020 that major works -- installing grade separators, building the Ejipura flyover, white-topping roads and executing TenderSure projects -- had run out of funds as most grants had been diverted to small road works.

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BBMP keen on small jobs

BBMP insiders and political leaders say the grants are diverted for asphalting small stretches, and the surfaces may not last beyond a year. The concern is valid as the BBMP is rushing, even in the midst of the monsoon rains, to repair roads. The hurry is also because the BBMP elections are coming up in a few months.

When DH contacted the Urban Development Department (UDD), it promised to review the list of works. “The rule of allocating government grants for works is dynamic in nature. Small works cannot take up a major portion of government allocation,” said Rakesh Singh, additional chief secretary, UDD.

So far, the BBMP has not disclosed a list of works approved in the 28 Assembly constituencies. Constituencies such as Mahadevapura, RR Nagar, Yeshwantpur, KR Puram, Bengaluru South and Bommanahalli, with ruling party MLAs, are getting a lion’s share, with allocations of more than Rs 200 crore each.

‘Publish list of works and get citizens to monitor quality’

Mohandas Pai, former director of Infosys, said, "Bengaluru is in bad shape. The city does not have good quality roads, drains and street lights. Government grants are much needed to fix the bad reputation. The government should also come up with a monitoring mechanism to ensure that the money is well spent."

The BBMP is a corrupt body. They are experts in manufacturing fake bills and siphoning off funds. The chief minister should direct the BBMP to publish a list of the works on its website and invite citizens to monitor the quality of works. The CAG should also be requested to audit the works immediately, he said.

‘Many ways to use the money better’

"The government must intervene and redirect the funds to at least five projects that can make a big difference to the city," urbanist Ashwin Mahesh told DH.

Build first-rate walkability on 200 roads. This should be done in 10-12 clusters of 15-20 roads each in different parts of the city, and then joined to each other. That will create a city-wide network of walkable streets, and numerous short trips could then be done on foot, he said.

Introduce 200 Public Health Centres to ensure that there is at least one PHC in every old ward, and two in the newer ones, which are typically larger in size and population. That would make primary health care accessible to everyone in the city, and keep a lot more people healthy and productive, he added.