The Mayor called the civic budget tabled on Monday “historic” as it was presented and passed through video conferencing amid concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the budget remained silent on the pandemic itself, and did not address public health measures or the plight of the urban poor who have lost their livelihood because of the lockdown.
The budget earmarks ₹49.50 crore from ward grants – ₹25 lakh from each ward – to the chief minister's discretionary fund to fight COVID-19, but proposes no other measures to be taken up by the civic body.
The budget was presented by L. Srinivas, chairman, Standing Committee on Taxation and Finance, BBMP.
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Activists and citizens groups have criticised the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for failing to acknowledge the global health crisis and its role in mitigating the impact of the coronavirus in Bengaluru.
“The BBMP has abdicated its responsibility. The gaps in the public health infrastructure are now clearly visible. For instance, our primary health centre infrastructure is inadequate and we do not have diagnostic facilities in government institutions. These should have been addressed,” said Dr. Sylvia Karpagam, a community medicine expert.
The budget came under criticism from the opposition Congress for the same reason. Keeping in line with previous budgets, the one presented on Monday earmarks 1.2% of the outlay for health.
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“We have adequate outlay for health, and everything cannot be done in one year,” said Mayor M. Goutham Kumar defending the budget.
Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa may have expressed concern over the financial situation of the State and indicated a drop in revenue to the exchequer, but the civic body seems to have no such concerns. The BBMP is dependent on grants from the State and Union governments to the extent of 40% of its budget outlay.
Welfare measures
With an eye on the upcoming civic polls scheduled for September 2020, the budget lists several social welfare measures. Mr. Kumar said the budget’s focus was welfare and pro-people measures. However, its share has come down from 10% of the outlay last year to 6% this year.
Sapna Karim, head, civic participation, Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, said, “The impact of the pandemic and lockdown is expected to continue for almost a year, and the poor are especially vulnerable. Ideally, there should have been ward level and sector level budgeting to cushion the blow. There is no imagination in the budget.”
The welfare sector is headlined in the budget by a universalisation of a free water scheme introduced by the State government in 2017 in urban slums. Any household using less than 10,000 litres of water a month will not be billed. However, those using above the 10,000-litre threshold would be billed for the entire usage.
“The universalisation of the scheme will benefit 2.5 lakh new households in 110 villages,” said Mr. Kumar. It will cost the BBMP ₹43 crore.