Why cash-rich BDA is unable to mind its own business

Why cash-rich BDA is unable to mind its own business



Sriram VFirst Published : 05 Mar 2009 04:24:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 05 Mar 2009 01:13:24 PM IST
BANGALORE: The BDA was supposed to be an agency that would construct major roads, flyovers and lay-outs in Bangalore.
But now, it is busy with finishing up other agencies’ unfinished businesses. So you have the BDA providing roads, drains or developing parks- all projects usually undertaken by municipal authorities.
Why is the BDA being pulled into projects not falling under its domain? Because, it seems to be the only agency that is cash-rich.
As Bangalore became Bruhat Bangalore, a cash-starved government started looking towards the BDA for funds, never more so as than in 2008-09. In this period, the government has asked BDA to either take up work or fund work of other agencies, worth an estimate of Rs 784 crore.
According to its commissioner, Siddiah, the BDA was asked to take as there was a paucity of funds with these agencies. “Since the BDA had the finances, we were asked to take up the work,” he said.
The government in September last year had directed the BDA to take up 1,554 projects estimated at Rs 623 crore to be taken up in the areas newly added to the BBMP. The work includes providing roads, drains, lighting and developing parks. Tenders have been already been issued for 1,281 projects at an estimated cost of Rs 508 crore.
Doling out funds
Apart from this, the BDA has also released Rs 27.5 crore of the Rs 55 crore to be given to BBMP for its road-widening project. Another Rs 55 crore have to be released as a second instalment. The BDA has also been asked to give Rs 100 crore to the BWSSB for development facilities in the newly-added areas of which Rs 50 crore has already been released.
The BDA has also been assigned the task of taking up repair of the Kanteerava Indoor stadium at an estimated cost of Rs 3 crore as well as giving Rs 3.5 crore for procuring gantries and signages for the traffic police.
Poorer past
The irony is that in the 90’s the BDA was under a severe cash crunch and all set to be wound before making a dramatic recovery during the SM Krishna’s government.
According to a former commissioner of the BDA, instead of asking the BDA to fund other agencies, there should be an attempt to make these agencies financially independent. “These organisations should be able to mobilise their own resources instead of looking for funds elsewhere,” he said.
The BDA has previously been involved in the restoration work on the glass house and band stand in Lal Bagh, construction of the emergency block in Bowring, restoration of the Agaram and Benneganahalli tanks, improvement of roads in Bytarayanapura and setting up of a sewage treatment plant at Cubbon park.
But according to another former BDA official, unlike what happens now, these were special cases. “The BDA has plenty of its own work like the maintenance of flyovers, underpasses, as well as providing basic facilities in its new layouts which has been largely ignored but instead of taking them up they are taking up everyone else’s work,” he said.
sriram@epmltd.com