New BMP budget or a mere rehash?

New BMP budget or a mere rehash?
Deccan Herald

How new and innovative are the projects proposed in the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike budget presented on Friday? Are they a mere rehash of the earlier proposals?

How new and innovative are the projects proposed in the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike budget presented on Friday? Are they a mere rehash of the earlier proposals?

The new projects in the 2006-07 budget seem to be the proposals on concrete roads, ban on hoardings, extension of the Sirsi Circle flyover up to the Jnanabharathi campus entrance, special welfare assistance to women and development of the Shivanahalli park.

A look at the BMP’s budgets for the last four years is a revelation. A huge number of projects have remained only on paper.

Old timers all

The World Bank-assisted road works are two years old; tenders for the same were, however, finalised in April 2004. As many 20 works featured under the head of Mega City projects, road medians, pedestrian sub ways, welfare schemes for backward classes and minorities, development of markets, kalyan mantaps, special allocation for Kempegowda Day celebrations, Glass House in BMP premises were mentioned in the earlier budgets.

Projects like scientific landfill for solid waste disposal, waste to energy projects, storm water drain works and setting up of electric crematoria figured in the 2003 budget.

Revenue generation

As per this year’s budget, the BMP aims to collect Rs 416 crore as property tax - a Rs 100 crore increase in the target it had set for itself last year. It is to be noted that the BMP’s property tax collections have rarely exceeded Rs 250 crore. Also, the Self Assessment Scheme leaves little scope for increase in collections. Officials have noted that the annual rental value of commercial properties may be revised, but that too is unlikely to make an impact.

The budget says that administrative expenses will be limited, but has allocated Rs 60 crore for administrative expenses.

The question is not one of whether the BMP has been slack in preparing the budget. The question is, could it be that the BMP does not grasp its own relevance and significance as the local governing body of a world renowned city?