Fourth consecutive budget without a council

Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) budget on Thursday is the fourth consecutive budget presented in the absence of an elected body.

Since the councillors work closely with people, it is believed that they have a better understanding of the people’s needs and are better placed to prioritise projects. Activists opined that the absence of an elected body also raises concerns over accountability.   

“Since there are no elected representatives, people do not have any control over the budget allocations. There is a danger that it might not reflect the people’s needs. Also, in the absence of an elected body, we do not know who to hold accountable. This raises concerns over transparency and accountability,” said Srinivas Alavilli, a civic activist. 

However, senior BBMP officials asserted that the budget was drafted after considering the inputs from the citizens. Shivananda H Kalakeri, BBMP Special Commissioner (Finance) during his budget presentation pointed out that the civic body had received close to 70,000 suggestions during the Brand Bengaluru campaign and the BBMP will act upon them.