Urban News

The Deccan Chronicle  31.08.2010

Bengaluru, Aug. 30: The much delayed BBMP Budget for 2010-11 was presented on Monday, nearly five months after the new BBMP council came into being, giving priority to solving the city’s parking problems and improving its civic amenities without burdening the people with additional taxes. While the cash-strapped BBMP has not announced major projects, it has given a thrust to development of roads, drains, footpaths, grade separators and traffic management.

True to Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s promise to give the city more concrete roads, the Budget has set aside Rs 25 crore for white topping major roads over 30 km in a first phase of the project. Roads to the Bengaluru International Airport are in for a makeover at a cost of Rs 40 crore, and footpaths across the city are expected to be modernised at a cost of Rs 20 crore. Building of seven signal-free corridors has received Rs 1,000 crore. Interestingly, elevated steel bridges and underground tunnels are in the offing to ease traffic conditions in the city.

Presenting the Budget, BBMP chairman, taxation and finance P.N. Sadashiva said 20 multi-level parking lots have been planned in association with BDA, which will be built under a public private partnership near Freedom Park, Gandhi Bazaar Main Road, near Garuda Mall and the Jayanagar Shopping Complex among other places.

An underground tunnel will be built between Majestic to the City Market and from Majestic to Okalipuram, an elevated steel bridge will be constructed between Minerva Circle and Hudson Circle. Both projects will cost Rs 6 crore to complete.

The city may see better garbage management in future as a solid waste programme spread over five years has been announced at a cost of Rs 200 crore. Also, new parks will be developed and old parks will reportedly see better upkeep, all at a cost of Rs 159 crore. A sum of Rs 97.97 crore has been set aside for giving lakes a facelift.

A mosquito control programme, distribution of free health kits to pregnant women and upgradation of hospitals also find mention in the Budget.

As far as education goes, faculty of BBMP schools will receive special training and extra classes will be held for students. A Sahitya Bhavana has been planned at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore.

BBMP is going tech savvy and plans to do online registration of deaths and births and also introduce an automated building plan approval system.

The Malleswaram and Jayanagar shopping complexes are in for a new look as is the Kalasipalyam bus station. Commercial complexes with parking facility have been planned for Gandhi Bazaar and Johnson Market.

The Deccan Chronicle  31.08.2010

Bengaluru, Aug. 30: The recently elected BBMP council presented its maiden budget for the city, and its biggest ever on Monday. The total outlay is at ` 8,488.54 crore for the year 2010-11 with priority being given to road infrastructure and traffic management.

But what will these astronomical figures translate into? The civic authority is spending close to ` 600 cr to service debts, while borrowing an additional ` 1,890 crore this year.

The BBMP, neck-deep in debt to the tune of over ` 2,562 crore to various financial institutions, is also banking on non-tax revenue and state and central grants, and the controversial akrama-sakrama scheme to pay for the long list of BBMP’s projects in the pipeline.

Clearly, the jaw-dropping list of fancy infrastructure projects is not likely to see the light of the day, and will go the way of similar projects announced in previous budgets.

Comparing the BBMP’s receipts between last year and present year proves beyond doubt that the BBMP has presented inflated revenue earnings and is pulling the wool over the people’s eyes by projecting a whopping ` 8,488.54 crore.

The BBMP had anticipated tax and non tax revenue of ` 1,716 crore last year while presenting a budget with an outlay of ` 4,238.41 crore.

But the authority was able to collect only around Rs 1,000 crore which prompted them to go for additional loans of Rs 782 crore to fill the gap.

This year too, it continues to make projections that are based on unrealistic expectations. For instance, the BBMP is expecting grants amounting to Rs 2,020.69 crore — Rs 195 crore from JNNURM, Rs 406.69 crore from the State Finance Corporation, Rs 1,300 crore as special grants from the government and Rs 122 crore special grants from the 13th Finance Commission.

The BBMP is also counting heavily on the Rs 750 crore to be collected from Sakrama scheme. The Bill, which has been passed by both the legislative assembly and council is in limbo as Governor H. R. Bhardwaj has objected to the proposal.

For additional revenue mobilisation, the civic authority plans to levy special development fee on high-value assessment properties, tax on heavy commercial vehicles, fee on towers and dish antenna erected for commercial purpose, and annual fee on private electrical transformers installed on BBMP or government properties.

But questions remain over how much money can realistically be generated from these schemes.