BMP gift: More parks, citizen’s service centres

BMP gift: More parks, citizen’s service centres

Open space management, private public partnerships and health schemes are in offing.

Deccan Herald

What is in the BMP budget for the citizen? There are a few new ideas, and many more old ones.

Four more citizen’s service centres will be set up, in addition to four existing ones. This means that citizens can pay their property tax, get building plans sanctioned, get khathas issued and so on in these centres without much ado.
Those bad tempered personnel manning counters in the revenue offices will no longer be the bane of citizens’ existence. Rs 1 crore has been provided to set up these centres.

A topic that figures prominently in the budget is parks. The amount allocated to the “Janodhyanavana” scheme, which has the preservation and development of such lung spaces in mind, has been quadrupled to Rs 24 crore.

Parks to be developed
At least 200 parks will be developed in the coming year. Of the 491 small medium sized and big parks in Bangalore, the BMP has developed 252 so far. There is also a plan to plant saplings in all Central and State government office premises and open spaces belonging to the Corporation.

The Palike is somewhat keen on public private partnership for various environmental initiatives and Rs 50 lakh has been provided for this. Traffic islands, neighbourhood parks and so on will be entrusted to interested residents’ associations, and saplings of plants, as well as vegetable seeds, will be distributed at subsidised rates to the residents of the City. Women will be trained to maintain kitchen gardens.

Tailored Health
At least one-day care centre will be set up in each of the three zone. A proposal was also made to provide one healthy meal a day to senior citizens enrolled in the centres. The training activities for women will be expanded from tailoring to beautician training, and the repair of household articles.

The urban poor health programme has been expanded. Heart and diabetes patients with a below poverty line card, women holding Anthyodaya card and the families of pournamikas will be given free medical examinations for certain diseases.