BBMP presents near mid-night budget on March 31

CHANDRASHEKAR G

On March 27 last year, Tulasi Maddineni BBMP special commissioner (Finance), draped in blue mixed green silk saree with fancy looking ear rings presented the budget with the Telugu accent mixed Kannada. Unfortunately, this time, the opportunity to present the budget has been deprived of.

The budget was presented in the presence of media at the IPP.

In the absence of elected body, the BBMP, represented by administrator Rakesh Singh, chief commissioner Gaurav Gupta and Tulasi Maddineni has presented the fiscal for 2022-23 in an unprecedented manner!

The budget for 2021-22 with an outlay of Rs. 10,480.93 crore has been presented at almost the midnight of March 31. The BBMP had earned notoriety for midnight tender now it takes the credit for presenting near mid-night budget!

The BBMP is expecting a receipts of Rs. 10,478.70 crore with a opening balance of Rs. 5.58 crore. The budget has been uploaded on BBMP official website www.bbmp.gov.in

It is the tradition that media will be invited for the budget presented for wide publicity of the new/old schemes in the budget and the focus on the city’s infrastructure. With the assembly polls round the corner and impending BBMP polls it was sort of imperative for the BBMP to present populist budget. This is the sole reason it calls for elected body at the urban local body, which is actual voice of the common man in the city.

It may be recalled that unofficially, the budget was scheduled to be presented on March 30. But due to the alleged differences and lack of co-ordination between babus and netas the budget was put off.

It is alleged that the BBMP failed to take MLAs and some ministers into confidence before presenting the budget. After getting a dressing down from a popular minister the senior babus of BBMP ran helter-skelter.

After marathon meeting with Chief Minister and ‘heavy weight’ ministers the budget was presented near mid-night on March 31.

But the way the BBMP budget presented gives rise to many suspicions and food for thought.

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