The cash-strapped Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has seen its budget slashed by nearly 21 per cent, which is likely to impede the civic body from taking up new works.
The State government on Friday approved the revised budget estimates of Rs. 5,411 crore submitted by the special team constituted by the BBMP Administrator T.M. Vijaybhaaskar. Incidentally, BBMP council had earlier presented a budget with an outlay of Rs. 6,848 crore.
The decision to revise the budget was taken as the earlier budget as “unrealistic” and not commensurate with the revenues of the civic body, Mr. Vijaybhaskar told The Hindu , and added that the budget would now cover “unavoidable expenditure and maintenance” such as salaries, solid waste management, and maintenance of parks, playgrounds and schools among others.
“New works have all been cut out from the budget, as the BBMP does not have funds to take these up,” he said. Criticising slashing of the budget, the former Mayor B.S. Sathyanarayana termed the move an election gimmick and pointed out that even essential works have been affected.
New proposalThe civic body will soon be submitting a proposal to the State government seeking Rs. 1,500 crore for various projects.
Some of the projects that are included in the new proposal include those mentioned in the 2015–16 State Budget, such as widening of eight roads (Ballari Road, Jayamahal Road, Bannerghatta Road, Tannery Road, Dinnur Road, Varthur Road and Subratho Mukharji Road), development of road junctions, construction of grade separators and railway underpasses and overpasses.
“Another proposal for Rs. 1,000 crore for roadworks to be executed by the Public Works Department will also be submitted shortly,” Mr. Vijaybhaskar said. The BBMP is already executing works worth Rs. 1,000 crore under the Nagarottana Scheme.
He defended the decision to revise the budget by pointing out to the huge outstanding loans, pending bills and ongoing works. This alone, he pointed out, came up to Rs. 7,000 crore.
The civic body recently witnessed protests by the contractors’ association over delay in clearing pending bills, after a contractor committed suicide allegedly due to financial distress, what with his bills amounting to over Rs. 1 crore pending with the BBMP.
