BBMP budget shrinks as corona expands

BENGALURU: Amid the coronavirus pandemic and the prospect of a serious economic slowdown in the near future, the BBMP on Monday presented a budget of Rs 10,895.84 crore for the current financial year. Significantly, the outlay is 10 per cent lower than the last year’s budget size of Rs 12,957.79 crore. It is also 15.46 per cent less than the Rs 11,648.90 crore sanctioned by the state government. The budget, presented with a skeletal attendance at the Council Hall and assisted by video-conference amid the ongoing lockdown, appeared to be short of bold steps and looked to please all.

It has no mention of controversial projects like white-topping of roads and Indira Canteens. It also finds no mention of the popular Mahalakshmi and Pink Baby schemes for which Rs 5 lakh and Rs 1 lakh were kept aside for workers and women giving birth to female children. 

While the ruling BJP hailed the budget, it did not go down well with many BBMP officials and opposition leaders. The non-inclusion of many projects and schemes only means that the BJP is not strong enough to take bold decisions and it wants to keep many people happy by showing a few development schemes, Congress councillors said. 

While Revenue Minister R Ashoka, who was also present at the  meeting, described the budget as “well laid out”, Mayor M Goutham Kumar said it is “realistic and well thought of.” Defending the reduced budget, BBMP Taxation and Finance Committee chairman L Srinivas told The New Indian Express that the outlay is “realistic”.

“Last time, the state government had reduced the budget amount. So this time, we ourselves reduced the amount by Rs 753.06 from what was approved last year. White topping is not mentioned specifically in the budget as it is already listed among ongoing works. Indira Canteens are also not listed as they are funded by the state government. In fact, many new schemes have been introduced like setting up of a multi-speciality children’s hospital at Bommanahalli at a cost of Rs 20 crore under the name of Pandit Deendayal Upadhaya,” the mayor said.

He added that under the Dhruvatare programme, Rs 50 lakh will be given to sportspersons performing exceptionally well at state and national levels. A financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh each will be given to pro-Kannada activists and retired Kannada artistes aged above 75 years on the eve of independence day under Hosa Belaku programme. A sum of Rs 1 crore has been earmarked for the purpose. Free laptops will be given to school and college students in the name of late leader Ananth Kumar and Rs 36 crore has been set aside to construct homes for pourakarmikas and SC/STs. As much as Rs 10 crore is allocated to BBMP drivers to construct individual houses.