Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike may keep aside Rs 6,000 crore for city upkeep in budget

BENGALURU: With elections round the corner, the cash-strapped Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike is expected to project a budgetary outlay of anything between Rs 6,000 crore and Rs 7,000 crore for the city's upkeep. The civic body presents its last budget today before the present council's term ends next month.

"This won't be a budget with any election gimmicks. The focus will be on spillovers and pending work," said BJP's V Anand, chairperson of the BBMP Standing Committee on Taxation and Finance.

From 2010 to 2014, the BBMP -which is paying Rs 43 crore every month towards loans -overstated its budgets by 60% with a huge gap in projected receipts and actuals. "We have not shown anything overboard this time," Anand held. "We expect Rs 2,500 crore from the state, and Rs 3,000 crore from our own revenues. In fact, we've cut the projection to make sure there is no fancy expectation," he said. The budget is expected to focus on maintenance than development. It is planned to take up development and maintenance of 11-15 lakes in the city, maintenance of parks, buildings and streetlights, he said."This will be a normal budget, and we expect to fulfill 90% of the budgetary promises."

In the State Budget, the chief minister announced Rs 4,770 crore for BBMP, BWSSB and BMRCL."The BBMP should ask for more funds from the government for day-to-day infrastructure," said Harish Narasappa of the Bangalore Political Action Committee. "There is a need for allocations for upkeep of roads, construction of skywalks, improvement of lung spaces and pedestrian-friendly facilities," he said.

Targets for property tax, the BBMP's only major source of revenue, are not being met. It could collect only Rs 1,700 crore against last year's target of Rs 2,500 crore.