The Hindu              31.01.2014

BDA donates Rs. 18 crore

Expressing concern over the Bangalore Development
Authority (BDA) doling out over Rs. 18 crore in donations to various
organisations since January 2007, Member of Legislative Council Ashwath
Narayana on Thursday urged the government to check duplication of
donations.

Speaking during the Question Hour in the
Legislative Council, he said many of the organisations get donations
from Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Kannada and Culture
Department for the same event. Mr. Narayana said while farmers were made
to run from pillar to post to get compensation for their land acquired
by the BDA, the authority gave away donations even to private entities
indiscriminately. He wondered how the BDA could do so with public money.

Responding
to the issue on behalf of the Chief Minister, Leader of the House S.R.
Patil said the government would devise a mechanism to check duplication.
He said there was no bar on making donations or issuing advertisements
under the BDA Act. The authority has been making the donations based on
directions from the government, Mr. Patil said.

Leader
of the Opposition D.V. Sadananda Gowda said he had ordered that all
applications seeking donations be rooted through the Chief Minister’s
office when he was holding the office.