BBMP budget on March 25, to focus on infrastructure

 The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s budget for 2017-18 will be presented on March 25 with a strong focus on infrastructure development.

M K Gunashekhar, the Chairperson of the BBMP’s Standing Committee on Finance and Taxation, told journalists here on Thursday that though the budget was small in size, it would address the long-standing demands of the public.

“Burial grounds and crematoriums will get a facelift, old markets will be developed into parking spaces, and digital IDs will be allotted to houses,” he added.

Gunashekhar said the budget would focus on programme implementation and consider some of the public demands that had been ignored for long. “The BBMP has broken records by collecting Rs 2,967 crore in 2016-17. Digital IDs allotted to houses will help streamline tax collection. Information on digital IDs and tax collection will be put on the website,” he added.

He said Rs 150 crore would be allocated for development of burial grounds and crematoriums which would be maintained by the Horticulture Department. “Funds will be provided for replacing old equipment in crematoriums,” he added.

Gunashekhar said that just five or six shops were functional in many old markets in the city. “We have prepared a plan to develop the markets in areas with small roads. Such places will be cleaned and developed as parking spaces,” he added.

The BBMP will start working to establish Namma Canteens announced by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the state budget on Wednesday. “Each ward will have a canteen in areas with maximum footfall. We are planning to provide space for the canteens in subdivisional offices,” he said.