Officials directed to complete pending works

Officials directed to complete pending works
Vijay Times

Bangalore: In addition to completion of spill over works by Sept 30, the additional commissioner has been directed to prepare a list of programmes under the Rs 1 crore ward grants earmarked in this years BMP Budget, BMP commissioner K Jairaj said on Thursday.

At the BMP Council meeting, he directed the officials concerned to complete the pending works that amounted to Rs 156 crore.

Cutting across party lines, the members opposed the commissioners statement directing the officials concerned not to take up new projects unless the spill over works were completed. "With the BMP elections due in November, the citizens will reject us if we dont take up new works," they said.

In reply to various questions raised by the members, Jairaj said that the BMPs expenditure had surpassed the income and the fiscal resources were understandably overspent forcing the civic body to bring in even the spillover works under the said norms.

Referring to the unpaid bills to the contractors over the past seven months, the commissioner instructed the officials to work as per the codes giving priority to spill-over works worth Rs 162 cr and aim at collecting a property tax of Rs 400 crore.

In the wake of severe funds crunch faced by BMP, the Mayor will approach the State government for an additional grant of Rs 100 crore, the commissioner informed.

Cong Mayors come under attack

Senior BJP member Laskhminarayana alleged that the BMP had become bankrupt due to the inefficient administration by Congress Mayors.

Reacting to the allegations made by the Congress, the JDS and BJP members entered the well of the House demanding that the Congress take back its allegations. This resulted in noisy scenes for a while.

When pandemonium prevailed in the Council Hall, Mayor Mumtaz Begum intervened and urged the members to calm down and said that the works were going on as expected and there was no delay.

BMPs property will be protected

Jairaj said that a ward-wise inspection will be held to identify BMPs properties and also assured to build a compound wall around them to protect it from illegal encroachments.

Besides this, action will be initiated to get those families evicted who had illegally occupied the residential buildings constructed by the BMP for pourakarmikas and economically weaker sections, he added.