Bengaluru municipal body budget focuses on administrative decentralization at zonal levels

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Saturday presented the budget for the financial year 2021-22, with a focus on administrative decentralization at the zonal levels. The budget has an outlay of Rs 9,287.81 crore.

The state government has enabled financial and administrative decentralization at the zonal levels of BBMP, and ward levels by introducing BBMP Act-2020, and a fund of Rs 2000 crores has been distributed for zones.

The budget has intended to provide a fund of one per cent of the collected property tax in order to promote the participation of citizens in property tax collection. On the basis of demand from citizens, each ward committee will be given Rs 20 lakhs for repairing of footpaths under, "footpath for citizens' initiative.

As per the budget, a new software has been developed under the framework of 'Ease of Doing Business, which facilitates providing starting from building license to domicile authentication certificate.

A major part of the budget has been kept for solid waste management. Meanwhile, Public toilets will be maintained as per "Open Defecation Free ++ specifications" and it has been aimed to construct 67 new toilets.

Aside from this, the healthcare sector has been allocated an amount of Rs 337 crore. The funds are in addition to the grants that will be provided by the Karnataka government.

It has been decided to award Rs 5000 every Poura Karmika through direct payment to facilitate the celebration of Dr. B.R.Ambedkar's birth anniversary.

According to the budget, the BBMP also aims at improving the maintenance of 1200 parks under its ambit and distribute the work on the basis of the ward and allocate the same through tendering process.

It has been decided to replace all the street lights of the city of Bengaluru under the LED lighting implementation project and 1 lakh of LEB street bulbs will be fixed by July 2021 in the first stage.

The priority for overall development of Bengaluru is given to the integrated traffic management system of the city and plans have been created to implement the up-gradation of 12 high-density corridors, to extend the metro routes and sub-urban rails.

Besides this, measures have been taken already to revive 25 lakes belonging to BBMP with the view of preserving the Greener Bengaluru.

Moreover, Public services like providing Khata, information/payment of property tax, birth/death certificates, business license, map of buildings, etc will be simplified in online mode and a unified digital portal system will be made available.

( With inputs from ANI )