The Hindu 12.08.2010
BBMP budget postponed
Staff Reporter
Bangalore: Looks like the citizens have to wait a little while longer for the announcement of the much anticipated Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Budget. According to highly placed sources, the budget is likely to be announced only after August 20.
The Budget preparations began in earnest after the first Standing Committee – on Taxation and Finance, was formed on June 29. Yet, the Budget was presented as the ruling party in the BBMP Council (BJP) did not want to table it during the Ashada month, considered to be inauspicious as per the Hindu calendar.
Sources said that initially, the Budget was to have been announced on August 16. With the BJP organising conventions, most councillors are likely to be away from the city. However, a member of the committee, on condition of anonymity, told The Hindu that Commissioner Siddaiah had submitted a draft copy of the Budget with his comments only on August 7. “According to the procedure laid down by the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976, the committee members have to meet again, approve the draft copy and fix the date. All the councillors will have to be notified about the Budget announcement a week in advance,” the member said.
The committee members are likely to meet on Thursday to fix the date. “The Budget will tentatively be announced either on August 21 or 23,” sources said.
The member said the tax would not be raised this year. While the budget outlay was Rs. 4,247 crore last year, it would be more than Rs. 7,000 crore this year.
