Mayor and Deputy Mayor’s wards get highest allocation

by September 4, 2011 Governance

Even as the opposition cried hoarse about the revenue plans for the budget, the Palike budget has shot up by 184 crores at the final count.

When the BBMP budget was passed on Saturday, September 3rd, 171 corporators had got additional grants for ward works. While the allocation was Rs 1-4 crore for most wards, the highest allocation was for Mayor Sharadamma’s ward Shettihalli (ward number 12). Mayor’s ward received Rs 15 cr.

The second highest allocation was Rs 8 cr, for Deputy Mayor S Harish’s ward Nagapura (67).
Rs 5 cr were allocated to Shanthinagar (117) and BTM layout (176), both of which are represented by Congress.

The additional ward grants have taken the budget outlay from the earlier Rs 9196 cr to Rs 9380 cr. This addition of Rs 184 cr was given even as opposition was arguing that the budget was unrealistic and that funds cannot be mobilised this year.

Opposition councillors voicing their protest. Pic: Navya P K

BJP has no clear answers on how Rs 184 cr will be mobilised. BJP leader B R Nanjundappa says that this amount will be channelised from MLA funds and by cutting down on unnecessary spending.

The budget was passed on Saturday even as the opposition was protesting. Congress and JD(S) corporators had raised several questions on the budget during the four-day discussion from August 23 – 26. On September 3rd, Taxation and Finance Committee Chairman Manjunath Raju and BBMP Commissioner H Siddaiah responded to these questions.

The response however was mainly a reiteration of the promises made in the budget. As opposition continued its protest, Mayor Sharadamma read out a speech saying that the budget was approved, putting an end to the discussion. As the budget was passed, opposition members protested, moving into the well of the House with placards and slogans.

The Council does not have a process of counting corporators’ votes for budget approval; the approval process is completed as soon as the Mayor declares so.⊕

Sections:

About Navya P K

Navya PK is a freelance journalist based in Kerala. She covers stories on environment, health and human rights. She has previously worked with Citizen Matters, Deccan Herald and The New Indian Express.
Read more by Navya P K

Comments:

  1. Divya Harave says:
    September 5, 2011 at 9:49 am

    What a shame!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

Give the poor homes or allow them to build? Ambedkar Nagar may hold the answer

by and April 22, 2025 Governance
The residents of the resettlement site in Chennai have made gradual upgrades to their homes, but are yet to get formal land titles from the government.

Across Indian cities, resettlement policies have often failed to provide long-term solutions for displaced communities, leaving them with insecure tenure, inadequate infrastructure, and limited growth opportunities. These challenges become even more apparent in resettlement schemes such as Chennai's Perumbakkam, where displaced communities were relocated into government-built apartments nearly 30 kilometres away. Antony, one of the first allottees of a plot in Chennai's Ambedkar Nagar, compares plots and apartments. He explains that having land allows gradual construction and improvements. "This is best. Here, with land, we can construct over time. There (in Perumbakkam), they cannot. There, even if they have money,…

Continue reading

Similar Story

Making the invisible visible: Why Bengaluru needs effective groundwater monitoring

by April 16, 2025 Governance
Ten assessment points in Bengaluru are over-exploited for groundwater, while government bodies lack the resources for effective monitoring.

Monitoring groundwater level is like keeping a tab on your income and expenses—if you are spending more, it is a warning sign. You can cut down spending or find ways to earn more. Similarly, a city must decide whether to reduce extraction in certain areas or improve recharge methods, such as rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment, or preserving open spaces. So, does Bengaluru have enough groundwater monitoring systems? While a WELL Labs report estimates the city's groundwater consumption as 1,392 million litres a day (MLD), BWSSB’s groundwater outlook report states that the extraction is only 800 MLD. This suggests a significant…

Continue reading