Vendors & seniors await their share of BBMP welfare pie

BENGALURU: In its 2016-17 budget, the BBMP gave hopes to three disadvantaged groups in Bengaluru -transgenders, hawkers and street vendors, and senior citizens -by allocating funds for their welfare. While it cheered the communities and organisations fighting for their rights then, it now turns out that the civic body is yet to spend these funds.

About Rs 2 crore was allotted each for the welfare of transgenders and street vendors and Rs 7 crore was marked for the construction of old-age homes and a midday meal scheme for senior citizens.

The allocation for street vendors came after a series of protests by the Street Vendors' Federation in Bengaluru. Lekha KG, member of the Alternative Law Forum, which works closely with the federation, said, “They have asked for the money to be used to conduct a survey of street vendors in Bengaluru and to be provided a beneficiary ID under the central government's National Urban Livelihoods Scheme.“

Despite frequent follow-ups with the mayor, the BBMP commissioner, the joint commissioner (JC) for health and the special commissioner for welfare, there has been no action. Lekha pointed out that the lack of clarity on whether the department of welfare or health was responsible for the implementation made things difficult.

“If this money is not utilised before the next budget, you don't know if it will be carried forward.All the work we have been doing on this through the year would become futile,“ she said. According to SG Raveendra, the BBMP Special Commissioner (Welfare), though the budget lies with the welfare department, the survey of street vendors had to be done by the JC of health. Saying that the processes had been set in motion in some zones, he agreed that it had not been up to the mark.

Talking about the funds allotted for transgenders, he said that the department had held a few meetings with associations representing the community . He said the issue took a backseat after the meetings went nowhere: “They were proposing that the amount be used for things like funding sexual reconstruction surgery , which is not possible for us to do.“

The former Project Director of Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society said he was aware that one of the biggest problems faced by the transgender community is its inability to rent places and the lack of a place where they can gather. “I am trying to repair a BBMP property which has been in dispute and give it out on lease to the transgender community to hold their activities or meetings,“ he said.

Raveendra said Iskcon was ready to supply midday meals for senior citizens but the department was waiting for the 50 beneficiaries in every ward to be selected by the zonal JC. He went on to say that implementation of several schemes get delayed because all BBMP officers are hard pressed for time. “We are jumping from one meeting to another,“ he said, adding that several officers had been sponsored: “Of 17 people in my welfare section, I have just six people posted.Four have been transferred, and I am left with two.“