The much-delayed Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Budget is likely to be presented on August 16.
The budget preparations had begun in earnest after the first Standing Committee – on Taxation and Finance — was formed on June 29. Yet, the budget could not be presented as the ruling party in the BBMP Council (Bharatiya Janata Party) did not want to table it during the month of Ashada, considered inauspicious as per the lunar Hindu calendar.
According to sources, the Budget was to be presented on August 9. However, it was changed as the Opposition members, particularly the Congress, would be away in Bellary participating in the convention on August 9. Also, the ruling party councillors would be away participating in BJP's convention in Bellary on August 12.
“A few members of the Standing Committee felt that August 13 would be ‘unlucky.' We then fixed August 16 as the date,” sources said.
Meanwhile, sources said the remaining 11 Standing Committees would be formed by the end of August. If the committees were formed, they would accommodate 108 BJP councillors. There are 111 BJP councillors, including Mayor S.K. Nataraj and Deputy Mayor N. Dayanand.
Sources said the number of members in the Standing Committee on Finance and Taxation would be increased from seven to 11.
