The cash-strapped Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) may finally get a bit of relief with the State Government ready to grant Rs. 500 crore.
Announcing this here on Monday, Bangalore in-charge R. Ashok said that the Rs. 1,500-crore government grant mentioned in the BBMP's 2011-12 budget would be released in phases.
Review meeting
He chaired a meeting with Mayor Sharadamma and Commissioner Siddaiah and reviewed the civic body's revenue mobilisation initiatives as well as the new garbage tenders and advertisement bye-laws, whose implementation has been stayed by the High Court.
The BBMP's Legal Cell had been directed to get the stays vacated as soon as possible. Two retired district judges would be appointed to the cell, one to look into cases filed in the High Court and another for those in the lower courts.
Garbage tenders
Mr. Ashok conceded that attempts to streamline solid waste management in the city for the past 15 years have been futile. Under the new garbage tenders, the contractor will be liable to collect construction debris and silt cleared from drains and manholes, failing which, a penalty of one per cent of the contract amount would be levied.
Consequently, the penalty amount will increase to 10 per cent, and third time, the contract will be cancelled. Another clause of making the contractors depositing 25 per cent of the contract amount with the BBMP will be added.
Areas for landfills would be identified in the four directions from the city. A private company had come forward to collect, segregate and dispose of the garbage free. “Only one company has responded to the tender. Modalities have to still be worked out,” he said.
Telecom cables
A committee had been formed to ascertain the extent of optic fibre cable (OFC) network in the city. Telecom companies claim to have laid only 5,000 km of cables but had not submitted an affidavit. “By charging ground rent, BBMP can garner at least Rs. 750 core annually. The BBMP is also procuring a machine to detect the km of OFC laid at a cost of Rs. 7 lakh,” he added.
Mapping properties
He had given the BBMP a three-month deadline to map properties in the 198 wards through Geographical Information System (GIS). Currently, the BBMP has 11.5 lakh property tax payers. Through GIS, BBMP has tracked 3.5 lakh property owners who have not paid any tax. “If the BBMP levies a penalty and collects its due from other properties, at least Rs. 250 crore will come into its coffers,” he said.
