On March 27, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s Administrator Gaurav Gupta (he has since been elevated to the post of BBMP Commissioner) presented the city’s budget for 2021-22, in the absence of an elected Council. The budget outlay for this year is slightly lower than that in the last two years, yet high at Rs 9286.8 crore.
Where will the money come from?
According to budget documents, the largest chunk of funds (41%) will come from state government grants. The second highest contribution (36%) is expected from taxes, primarily property tax. BBMP expects to collect Rs 2,800 crore of property tax this year.
The rest of the funds are expected to come from BBMP’s non-tax revenues and other receipts, along with grants from the central government.
Where’s the money going?
The highest allocations (Rs 5417.5 crore) from the budget are for the Public Works Department, which implements a range of projects such as building and maintaining roads, stormwater drains, parks, etc. The next highest allocation – around Rs 1622 crore – is for the Solid Waste Management (SWM) department. In contrast, the allocations are much lower for Public Health (Rs 336.6 cr), Social Welfare (Rs 319 cr) and Public Education (Rs 83.89 crore) departments. But a small amount of allocations for construction and maintenance of buildings (hospitals, schools), etc., come to these departments from the Public Works Department.
As per the budget speech, “Given BBMP’s precarious financial situation, a conscious decision was taken to not take up new works in any department except education, health, welfare and lakes.” The focus this year is to complete ongoing works, including long-pending ones. Allocation has also been made for maintenance of all assets and public utilities, as per the speech. Also, a total of Rs 2,000 crore will be devolved to the zonal level, for decision-making and execution of various maintenance works.
Here’s are some key allocations in the budget for various services provided by BBMP. For the full list of budget allocations, check the BBMP budget document.
Solid Waste Management (SWM)
The highest allocations for SWM go towards works outsourced to contractors. Around Rs 40 crore has been allocated for maintaining landfills, and for developing the villages affected by landfills. In contrast, despite the serious challenges facing Dry Waste Collection Centres (DWCCs), only Rs 5 crore has been allocated for upgrading those. And only Rs 15 lakh has been allocated for decentralised composting.
- Operating costs of SWM work that’s outsourced to contractors like Zonta Infratech, TPS, etc – Rs 550 crore
- Maintenance of landfills/waste dumping yards – Rs 25 crore
- Development of villages surrounding landfills, under Shubhra Bengaluru scheme – Rs 6.05 crore
- Developing the areas surrounding the waste dumping yards in Doddabidrekallu village – Rs 9 crore
- CCTV cameras in large blackspots and SWM plants – Rs 10.3 lakh
- Decentralised composting – Rs 15 lakh
- Purchase of mechanical sweeping machines – Rs 10 crore
- Upgrading DWCCs – Rs 5 crore
- Maintenance of e-toilets – Rs 3.6 crore
Read More: How Bengaluru’s crumbling Dry Waste Collection Centres can be overhauled
Public health
Given the traditionally low allocations for public health in BBMP, last year the state government pitched in with Rs 300 crore to cover BBMP’s Covid expenses. The Palike spent only Rs 90 crore from its own resources for Covid.
This year, Rs 50 crore has been marked for ‘natural calamities’, but the spending on hospital construction and equipment, medicine supply are still low.
- Natural calamities – Rs 50 crore
- Procuring and maintenance of hospital equipment – Rs 2.5 crore
- Medicine supply to hospitals and healthcare centres – Rs 13 crore
- Construction of hospitals and healthcare centres – Rs 4.12 crore, includes:
- Modernisation and maintenance of labs – Rs 1 crore
- Construction of hospitals/maternity homes/dispensary/doctors’ quarters/clinical labs – Rs 1 crore
- Additional construction work for hospital building in Shivajinagar – Rs 99.78 lakh
- Establishing dialysis centre in Rayapuram (ward 137) – Rs 1.95 lakh
- Hospital construction in Rayapuram ward – Rs 20.83 lakh
- Establishing dialysis units at Sarvagna Nagar/Pulakeshi Nagar/Jayanagar/Rajaji Nagar/Vijaya Nagar assembly constituencies – Rs 79.1 lakh
- Maintenance of existing hospitals and healthcare centres – Rs 12.8 crore
- Maintenance of dialysis centres – Rs 6 crore
- Hospital waste disposal – Rs 1.75 crore
- Food supply through Indira Canteens – Rs 80 crore
- Mosquito control programme – Rs 20 crore
- Postnatal care kits – Rs 1.5 crore
- Stents for heart patients – Rs 4 crore
Road infrastructure
A large chunk of road works are supposed to be funded by the Chief Minister’s Nava Nagarothana Scheme, whereas BBMP’s own allocations are relatively low. While citizens have repeatedly complained about the poor quality of collector roads and local roads, BBMP has allocated Rs 196 crore for maintaining these.
- Development of Hosur Lashkar road, from Vellara Junction to Central Silk Board – Rs 59.3 lakh
- Maintenance of arterial and sub-arterial roads in all eight zones – Rs 58.4 crore
- Development of flyovers, subways – Rs 2 crore
- Maintenance of flyovers, subways – Rs 24.8 crore
- Development of collector roads and local street roads – Rs 17.6 cr, includes:
- In BTM Layout assembly constituency – Rs 2.5 crore
- In Sarvagna Nagar constituency – Rs 11 crore
- In Mahalakshmi Layout constituency – Rs 34.9 lakh
- In Prakash Nagar (ward 98) – Rs 76.8 lakh
- Improvement of roads and drains in Ramaswamy Palya and Chinnappa Garden – Rs 2 crore
- Approach roads – Rs 3.7 crore
- Widening of roads in new zones – Rs 58.08 lakh
- Repairs to footpaths and shoulder drains – Rs 28.5 lakh
- Maintenance of collector and local street roads – Rs 195.9 crore
- Under Chief Minister’s Nava Nagarothana Scheme:
- Upgrading 191 km of arterial roads by creating ‘high-density corridors’ – Rs 473.5 crore
- Several projects including white-topping, construction of grade separators, road development in new BBMP areas, improving major roads as per TenderSURE
Parks, gardens, urban forestry
BBMP has set aside a significant amount for maintenance of parks and gardens, especially in the core city areas. Rs 2 crore has been set aside for tree survey and tree numbering as well.
- Development/construction of parks- Rs 10.5 crore, includes:
- Improvements to KG Park at Shankarmatt ward (ward no 75) – Rs 37.4 lakh
- Development of the Deer Park in Brindavan Nagar – Rs 19.8 lakh
- Maintenance of parks and gardens – Rs 154 crore, includes:
- Maintenance of parks in East, West and South Zone – Rs 102.8 crore
- Maintenance of parks in new zones – Rs 35 crore
- Beautification of various public spaces in the city – Rs 2.5 crore
- For park security and maintenance, organic manure units, etc in Yediyur ward alone – Rs 3.4 crore
- Maintenance of parks in wards 44 and 47 – Rs 57.3 lakh
- Fencing of parks, playgrounds, gardens – Rs 14.7 crore
- Landscape development of parks, medians, boulevards, prime roads, circles – Rs 23 crore
- Works of new parks in new zones, creating tree parks, water supply facility in all parks – Rs 15.4 crore
- Avenue plantation – Rs 6 crore
- Tree survey and tree numbering – Rs 2 crore
Playgrounds
- Improvements to MEI playground in Bagalakunte (ward 14) – Rs 1.85 crore
- Building gallery for the Kabaddi playground in Radhakrishna Temple (ward 18) – Rs 50 lakh
- Development of Dr Rajkumar Indoor Stadium in Nagapura (ward 67) – Rs 18.2 lakh
- Improvement of Sangoli Rayanna playground in Maruthi Mandir (ward 126) – Rs 1.26 crore
- Development works of Kittur Rani Channamma Stadium in Byrasandra (ward 169) – Rs 1.46 crore
- Construction of Ranga Mandira in BBMP areas – Rs 24.3 lakh
Public Education
Allocation for public education is relatively low, as usual.
- Education improvement programme which includes introduction of SMART education in schools and colleges, additional training and health insurance for students, sanitary napkin incinerators, etc – Rs 3.7 crore
- Computers and lab equipment for schools and colleges – Rs 2 crore
- Maintenance of TV/projector/CCTV cameras in schools and colleges – Rs 2 crore
- Midday meals – Rs 2.85 crore
- Stipends and scholarships – Rs 1.1 crore
- Study tours for students – Rs 50 lakh
- Construction/upgradation of school and college buildings – Rs 30.8 lakh
- Maintenance of school and college buildings – Rs 26.6 crore
Read more: BBMP can handle Bengaluru’s schools better, State just needs to help
Lake development
Given the NGT order for Bellandur lake rejuvenation, specific allocations have been made towards it. In addition to the amounts below, state government funds are also expected for lake development works.
- Lake development
- Allasandra lake – Rs 18.7 lakh
- Development of Yediyur lake and installation of 32 ft Vivekananda statue – Rs 87.2 lakh
- Improvements to Doddabommasandra kere – Rs 14.9 lakh
- Improvements to new lakes – Rs 1.6 crore
- Fencing of lakes – Rs 10 crore
- Support fund from BBMP to BDA for Bellandur Lake development – Rs 5 crore
- Lake maintenance – Rs 30.7 crore
- Maintenance of lakes and their STPs – Rs 30.68 crore
- Annual maintenance of Yediyur lake – Rs 10 lakh
- State government grants to develop Bellandur lake as per NGT order – Rs 3.98 crore
Stormwater drains (SWDs)
- Annual maintenance – Rs 59.2 crore
- Desilting – Rs 49.9 lakh
- Construction of a stormwater drain in Vrushabhavati Valley – Rs 25 crore
Public Toilets
- Women’s toilets in BBMP offices – Rs 1.89 crore
- Public toilets at 50 parks – Rs 3.78 lakh
- Construction and improvements to urinals and toilets – Rs 84.9 lakh
Street lights
- Annual streetlight maintenance, including replacement of burnt bulbs – Rs 66.3 crore
- LED pilot project in wards 9, 2, 11, 41, 43, 27, 52, 32, 57, 31, 68, 72 – Rs 50 lakh
- Providing energy-saving street light system with timer control – Rs 3.5 lakh
- Adding/upgrading street lights – Rs 2 crore
Social welfare
- Developing basic infrastructure in SC/ST areas in various wards and constituencies – Rs 146.8 crore
- Welfare programmes (health programmes, financial assistance, housing, etc) for SC/ST individuals – Rs 166.6 crore
- Of this, Rs 68.5 crore is set aside for pourakarmikas
- Building individual houses for SC/ST beneficiaries in Malleswaram and Bangalore South assembly constituencies – Rs 2.5 crore and Rs 2 crore respectively
- Similar programmes for OBC/minority and people with disabilities – Rs 38 crore and Rs 38.5 crore respectively
- Welfare programmes for Economically Weaker Sections (Rs 15 crore), for women (Rs 7.5 crore), senior citizens (Rs 3.5 crore), transgender persons and hawkers (Rs 1 crore each)
- Maintenance of Night Shelters – Rs 2.5 crore
- Establishing new skill development centres for providing tailoring, knitting and embroidery training – Rs 84.7 lakh
- Maintenance of tailoring training centres – Rs 1.09 crore
Read more: So many social welfare schemes for the poor, who benefits?
State government schemes like Chief Minister Nava Nagarothana Yojane and Mukhyamanthrigala Nava Bengaluru Yojane is expected to provide additional funding for projects under various heads like development of roads, drains, lakes, etc. Similarly grants of Rs 560 crore is expected from 14th and 15th Central Finance Commission for various infrastructure works.
Miscellaneous
- Removing unauthorised advertisement boards – Rs 15 lakh
- Encroachment clearance – Rs 5 crore
- Maintenance of markets – Rs 12.2 crore
- Maintenance of BBMP buildings, market complex, etc in Yediyur ward – Rs 1.8 crore
- Rainwater harvesting (RWH) – Rs 1.79 crore
- In all parks – Rs 1.39 crore
- In BBMP buildings, areas with water-logging – Rs 40 lakh
- Statues – Rs 25.3 lakh
- Installation of Ravi Kirloskar statue at Udaya Ravi park – Rs 24.4 lakh
- Installation of Dhyan Chand’s statue at Karnataka State Hockey Association – Rs 0.95 lakh
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BBMP must enlist and seek CSR funding for developing parks,median of roads and maintenance of lakes.
I am seeing an increase of 900rs in property tax. Nothing has changed in our apartment. BBMP did mention that they are not going to hike taxes this year. Then why is there an increase in property tax? Where can I get help? Anybody out there? Thanks.