The Opposition Congress has cried foul over the “disparity” in development grants to Assembly segments represented by them in the civic budget 2022-23 that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) uploaded last week.
An analysis of the budget documents reveal that 15 constituencies represented by BJP have on an average got a development grant of ₹37.2 crore - in the range of ₹22 crore to ₹47 crore.
On the other hand, 11 constituencies represented by the Congress have got an average allocation of ₹23 crore - in the range of ₹19 -31 crore, while the lone JD(S) constituency has got ₹29 crore. These include special development grants and funds for development of infrastructure in SC/ST areas, provided at the Assembly constituency level.
Last year, too, the Congress had alleged disparity in development grants. “Since BJP came to power, they have made discrimination and politics in development their main policy. There has been a severe disparity in my constituency in every allocation. While every government exercises some discretion, this government is doing only that,” said Congress MLA Krishna Byre Gowda, who represents Byatarayanapura, which has got one of the lowest grants - ₹19 crore. He also cited allegations of corruption as “is evident in the contractors’ association letter of 40% kickbacks, and that funds allocated to BJP constituencies also did not translate into development on the ground.”
Another Congress MLA, Rizwan Arshad, who represents Shivajinagar, which was also allotted ₹19 crore, said the city’s administration was marred by confusion and one-upmanship which has robbed tity legislators of even a grievance redressal forum.
“The Chief Minister is busy and we cannot go to him for every small thing. The city needs a dedicated Minister, but the faction fights are so intense that the entire city administration has been undermined,” he said.
However, a senior BJP MLA, who did not wish to be named, defended the allocation arguing the constituencies they represented were given a “step-motherly” treatment when Congress held the city’s civic body and their constituencies were now being “compensated”.
“Ideally, there must not be such preferences, but in an election year it is unavoidable,” he conceded.
In fact, the civic budget prepared by bureaucrats, in the absence of an elected council, was withheld for three days as BJP MLAs sought to increase outlay for development works and to their constituencies. The outlay of the budget was increased to ₹10,485 Crore from the earlier ₹9,019 crore. A total of ₹841 crore has been allotted to Assembly constituencies.
Civic activists have long questioned such allocations to assembly constituencies in the civic budget. “The MLAs continue to have a stranglehold over the civic body and its finances. Why should BBMP allot funds from its budget to MLAs? Ideally all allocations in the civic budget must be to wards,” argued N. S. Mukunda, of Bengaluru Praja Vedike. In the new BBMP Act, 2020, such a stranglehold of MLAs over the civic body has been institutionalised through an MLA-led advisory committee at the assembly constituency level, which he argued violates the core principles of the 74th amendment to the Constitution that provides for local self government.
