BBMP presents Rs 11,157 crore budget

Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) budget was presented on Thursday for the financial year 2023-24. A total of Rs 11,157 crore budget for the development and necessary management of the city was presented by the Special Commissioner of Finance, Jayaram Raipur.

The BBMP presented a total budget of Rs 10,585 crore last year, with a huge size. If you look at what the BBMP has earmarked the grants, for solid waste management and public works are the highest grants. Solid waste problem in the city is always on the rise. The BBMP has been criticised for its maintenance and adequate disposal. For this reason, the BBMP has announced a grant of Rs 1,643 crore for solid waste management. Similarly, a total of Rs 7103 crore has been allocated for public works such as road and infrastructure.

The BBMP has announced that the general administration of the BBMP will provide Rs 602 crore and Rs 524 crore for revenue sector. A total of Rs 241 crore is being paid for public health and Rs 103 crore for public health medical department.

Similarly, the Horticulture Department, which manages the gardens and other parks in the city, has got Rs 129 crore. Also Rs 57 crores has been allocated to the 'Urban Forest' Division, which is yet to be relocated or the proposed location.

250 'She-toilets' will be constructed in 2023-24 for the convenience of women travelling on the roads of Bengaluru. In these exclusive places meant for ladies, there will be toilet area, changing area, hand washing facility, breast feeding area and mobile charging facilities.

Around Rs 513 crore has been earmarked for the Department of Social Welfare. And Rs 152 crores has been given mainly for public education. While Rs 25 crores is being provided for the distribution of free laptops to 10,000 children in the city's BBMP schools, the palike said. Rs 72 crore for urban planning and control and Rs 13 crore for council.

Overall, the BBMP Budget includes all sectors, including all ward development, garbage disposal, park management, installation, vehicle parking facility, tax, road development, rainfall issues, electricity, housing, old age home, scholarships, assistance for women and major junctions development.

The newly established 243 wards will be sub-divided into two to three wards for better administration. "Understanding the humungous task and difficulty in managing the administration of 243 wards, it is proposed to have sub divisions with 3 to 4 wards, a division with 2 to 3 sub divisions and a few divisions making up one zone," Jairam Raipur said.

The BBMP allocated Rs 40 crore to determine and identify the agency's properties, including geo-tag-GPS marking of its lakes, digitization of records, chain-link fencing and installation of nameplates. "This will give impetus to the scheme of preserving BBMP's assets and turning them into sources of income," Jairam Raipur said.

BBMP has set aside Rs 20 crore for anti-rabies five-in-one vaccine to address and control the menace of stray dogs in Bengaluru. BBMP aims to double the number of spaying and neutering of stray dogs in 2023-24. Two electric crematoriums will also be set up at a cost of Rs 5 crores for the cremation of dogs and other animals.

The year 2022-23 has been rightly called as 'Amruta Varsha' for Bangalore City on account of the number of civic amenities being added. Under 'Amruta Nagarothana' scheme, development of 2,146 kms of roads (including drainage), development of 67 lakes, 11 new parks, renovation of 15 existing parks, 42 new school buildings and renovation of 26 existing schools, construction of 40 new Primary Health Centres and Renovation works of 84 old Primary Centres have been undertaken during 2023-24 at a project cost of Rs.6,000 crores. Similarly, 2,558 ward works have also been taken up in 2022-23 at a cost of Rs 873 crores. Most of the above works will be completed by the end of March 2023.

Apart from the incident of 'Savala Kere' lake overflowing and flooding outer ring road in East Bengaluru, there has not been any other major flood incident. This is a testimony to the efficiency of Storm water drainage works done by BBMP. Inspite of a record rainfall of 1,958 mms in Bengaluru, BBMP has managed to prevent any other major flooding incident. The first phase of K-100 stretch of 'Rajakaluve' has been successfully commissioned.

Comprehensive development of 12 lakes will be taken up in 2023-24 at a cost of Rs 35 crores. Chain-link fencing will be put up along the boundaries of all BBMP's lakes to protect BBMP's property. Several measures have been undertaken to utilise Bengalure's big lakes for flood control by installing sluice gates during 2022-23. An additional amount of Rs.15 crores has been allocated in 2023-24 for this purpose.

Owing to record and continuous rainfall from June to December of 2022, there was a problem of potholes. To carry out this pothole filling work in a systematic and scientific manner, BBMP has launched a citizen app by the name 'Fix My Street'. Any citizen can geo-tag a picture of a pothole they come across and can upload the same in the app. Inspection of Potholes, work order creation, work inspection and billing-payment functions will be routed through the app.

This scheme was piloted in 2022-23 and will be expanded in 2023-24.

An 'Integrated Command and Control Centre': (ICCC) to scientifically manage complaints related in BBMP and 14 other citizen Service Organizations of Bengaluru has been opened in BBMP premises itself.

This ICC Centre will be made operational in 2022-23 and will be functioning at its full capacity in 2023-24.