It’s been nearly two months since the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) 2021-22 budget was approved by the then Administrator Gaurav Gupta, who is now the Chief Commissioner. However, it has not been accorded approval by the Karnataka government.
The civic body is yet to send the budget to the State government.
On March 27, BBMP Special Commissioner (Finance) Tulasi Madineni presented a surplus budget with an outlay of ₹9,291.33 crore. In the absence of an elected council, Mr. Gupta had approved the ‘realistic budget’ that prioritised decentralisation and fiscal discipline.
Conceding the delay, Ms. Madineni said the approved budget would be tabled first before the Chief Commissioner on Monday and later the new administrator Rakesh Singh, who is also the Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Urban Development.
“The civic body’s major spends had only been on salaries of its workforce, including pourakarmikas and workers in the crematoria, and COVID-19 related expenses,” she said. She pointed out that though the budget is yet to be approved, the civic body is empowered to utilise 30% of the outlay as per the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976. “We are confident that the government will approve the civic budget as soon as possible,” she said.
Commenting on the delay, Mr. Gupta said that given the emergency situation that had arisen from the spike in COVID-19 cases in the second wave, civic officials did not have the latitude to pursue the matter.
Among some of the projects mentioned in the budget are the 291 works amounting to ₹1,000 crore for restoration of roads where BWSSB’s water and sanitary line works have been completed in 110 villages. Though it was slated to be completed in this fiscal, it is unlikely the work will be taken up now. This is because the civic body has decided not to take up any new works.
“We have decided to only take up COVID-19 related works and flood relief works, such as those pertaining to stormwater drains and equipping the zonal control rooms this fiscal given the extraordinary situation following the second wave,” said Ms. Madineni.
