BBMP proposes, Govt disposes

BBMP proposes, Govt disposes
By Basavaraj Itnal, DH News Service, Bangalore:
Even as Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa presents the budget on Thursday, both the Government and the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagar Palike seem to be in a fix over meeting the demands of Greater Bangalore...


For, the rising expenses of the civic body are not matched by revenues and grants. The indecision on CVS and Sakrama has only left BBMP coffers empty. As a consequence, the budget is likely to give special grants of about Rs 300 crore as against Rs 1,100 crore demanded by the BBMP.

Government sources told Deccan Herald that the budget may not announce any new infrastructure projects.
“We have many ongoing projects. The priority now is to provide budgetary support to peripheral ring road (PRR), road widening and flyovers under construction,” said the sources.

In his earlier budget, BSY had announced an underground expressway between Minsk Square and BDA junction, an elevated expressway from Brigade road to Central Silk Board Junction, expressway on Mysore Road and another on Tumkur Road. As these projects are yet to start, it is expected that budgetary support for them would be continued, said sources.

BSY’s last budget had also allocated a special grant of Rs 250 crore to BBMP to provide water and roads to newly added areas to the civic body.

Rs 1,000 cr sought

This year BBMP made a demand of Rs 1,000 crore as special grants for new zones and another Rs 100 crore exclusively for shifting of utility lines during widening of the roads.

“Due to the ongoing debate on CVS and Sakrama, BBMP has no revenue from property tax. A final decision on SAS may not be possible before November. This has made BBMP to depend heavily on the Government,” said a senior official at the BBMP.

Supplementary budget

Following the State Budget allocations, BBMP would prepare a supplementary budget within August. BBMP sources said that the grants announced by the Government would have to be accommodated afresh in the BBMP budget.

Most of the grants would be tied to particular expenditure and the civic budget would prepare a supplementary budget for the same and seek approval of the government, said sources.