BBMP to use revenue from OFC policy to clear arrears

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is eyeing revenue from the Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) policy to bail itself out of the financial crisis.

In the face of sharp criticism by the corporators from ruling as well as the Opposition parties for not paying the dues of the contractors and not releasing funds for the housing projects for the economically and socially weaker sections of the society, Mayor B S Satyanarayana on Wednesday said the revenue from the OFC policy would be spent on housing project and clearing the dues.

The assurance came when the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the BBMP came in for sharp criticism from its women corporators who staged a dharna in the well of the House over non-release of funds for the housing project for weaker sections under the 22.75 per cent scheme.

As soon as the Moodalapalya corporator Shantha Kumari raised the matter of non-implementation of the housing scheme in the Council, corporators cutting across party line came in her support and trooped into the well of the House demanding release of funds.

Shantha Kumari accused the BBMP administration of being apathetic to the plight of the people from SC/ST and backward communities who live in abject poverty.

Due to the sloganeering and commotion, Mayor adjourned the meeting half-an-hour before the lunch break. However, the BJP women corporators continued their dharna skipping lunch. Following the assurance from the Mayor, the agitating corporators returned to their seats.

Soon after their agitation, Siddapura ward Congress corporator M Udayashankar said the contractors are facing hardship owing to the non-release of their dues by the BBMP Bangalore South Zone office.

Road history

Commissioner M Lakshminarayana could not give any possible day for the implementation of the Road History project, which he admitted could check corruption substantially.

Replying to BJP corporator Manjunath Raju, Lakshminarayana said, “It is possible to implement the scheme. Officers associated with the project should feel its importance and act responsibly.”

Raju, who was instrumental in preparing the policy for the GIS-based road history, charged that there was a lack of interest in implementing the Road History, which can curb financial mismanagement.

“Seven months ago the software was ready. The only thing was to feed the 93,000 Road Identity Numbers in it covering 13,000-km-long roads in Bangalore but the officers are not ready to do the job,” alleged Raju. He said the commissioner issue job codes based on the Road ID from the next financial year. Other corporators too supported the implementation of the project at the earliest.