The Deccan Chronicle 04.09.2010
BBMP loan, liability for citizens?Bengaluru, Sept. 3: With BBMP planning to take a Rs 1,890 crore loan, an average property tax-payer will end up with a liability of nearly Rs 48,000, said JD(S) leader in the BBMP council Padmanabha Reddy on Friday.
Participating in the budget discussion on Friday, he said there were 10 lakh property tax-payers in the city. At present, BBMP has an outstanding of around Rs 2,500 crore.
During the administrator’s rule, BBMP’s financial position has become delicate and either a Lokayukta inquiry should be instituted or a council committee formed to look into the same, he said.
“The only achievement is taking a loan of Rs 2,600 crore and presenting a few magic box underpasses. The projects presented in the budget are nothing but duplication of the previous budget with a few changes. It has to be sent back to the BBMP finance committee and presented again with changes,” he said. There was a need for more flyovers, underpasses and other civic amenities in the city which have been ignored, he added.
BBMP chief accounts officer must explain how actual is the revenue expected and proposed expenditure for improvement of the city.
Taking a dig at the bus shelter in the city he said advertisement agencies must build one bus shelter in newly added areas for every two bus stands in core areas.
