JOIN USLeader of Opposition in the BBMP Council Manjunath Reddy on Thursday demanded a review of the BBMP budget.
Speaking during the budget discussion, Reddy questioned the need for tabling a highly inflated budget when the implementation rate never exceeded 38 per cent. “When revenues do not exceed Rs 3,965 crore, what is the need to table an inflated budget of Rs 7,773.08 crore,” he questioned.
He said poor implementation of the budget was the main reason behind inadequate infrastructure facilities. He demanded BBMP to strengthen its finance department and take action against corrupt officers. He alleged that officers have squandered crores of rupees of Palike, citing the CAG report on instances of financial indiscipline in BBMP.
Reddy asked the BBMP to check revenue leakage for better functioning of the civic body. He also underlined the need to bring 20 per cent properties within tax net. “Why is it that only 80 per cent properties in Bangalore have been registered under GIS based PID system and not 100 per cent? When are you going to tax those 20 per cent properties,” he asked.
Floor Leader of the House, Ashwathnarayana Gowda, however, hailed the Palike for bringing out budget in record time. He urged the State government to release a fund of Rs 1,527 crore as promised in the budget at the earliest to implement the projects at the earliest.
As the Palike has laid emphasis on lake in the present budget, Gowda suggested that walkways and jogging tracks have destroyed many lakes as people with low civic sense litter around it. He stressed upon interlinking of lakes by protecting canals.
He told the council that recently Bangalore Urban District authorities carried out a survey of storm water drains, which also shows encroachment. He urged the Palike administration to recover all encroached land.