BMP lauded at PROOF discussion

BMP lauded at PROOF discussion

The Hindu

But scrutiny shows that the civic body is living beyond its means

# Records show 90 p.c. of funds given out
# BMP spends Rs. 10,370 on education for every child
# 58 p.c. of them cannot read
# Accounting practices not translated into reality

Bangalore: At the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP), it takes nearly nine months for a proposal to get converted into a project. Even though work on a particular project would not have begun, data from BMP records show that 90 per cent of the funds have been given out.

The BMP spends Rs. 10,370 on education of every child but 58 per cent of them cannot read.

These were some instances of lacunae in the BMP functioning that members from various non-government organisations pointed out on Saturday at a discussion on the annual performance of the civic body in the year 2005-06.

The discussion was organised by Public Record of Operations and Finance (PROOF), a campaign to promote accountability, transparency and disclosure of information in the BMP.

Ravikant Joshi, a financial analyst, praised the BMP for its initiatives to reach out information about its budget and functioning to the public.

But the BMP budget, on scrutiny, showed that the civic body was living beyond its means, he said. Accounting practices, such as Fund Based Accounting System, was not being translated into reality, he said.

Worrying aspect

While capital expenditure was growing at an appreciable 20.82 per cent, the worrying aspect was that 68 per cent of the expenditure was being financed through future liabilities, Mr. Joshi said.

BMP Commissioner K. Jairaj, listing out the constraints faced, said the civic body on several occasions had to address problems on an ad hoc basis.

"The planning time for us gets seriously eroded," he said.

The other problems that the BMP faces are pressures from elected representatives; lack of staff of the BMP in the engineering, sanitation, and financial management areas, a volatile political-administrative relationship and the lack of public responsibility evident in encroachments, Mr. Jairaj said.

Suggestions

The discussion threw up suggestions on how the BMP could improve its functioning. Ward sabhas should be taken more seriously and the decisions taken there should be implemented, said Jagannath from Vijaynagar Nagarike Vedike.

Vacancies of teaching and non-teaching staff in BMP schools should be filled and school-based budgeting should be taken up, said Ashok Kamath from Akshara Foundation.