BBMP gets Rs 675 crore to clear bills after polls

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), upon the request of local MLAs, has received Rs 675 crore from the state government to settle contractor bills. This is the first installment from the promised Rs 3,000-crore grant for the civic body in the state budget.

Last week, the Urban Development Department (UDD), with consent of the finance department, sanctioned Rs 675 crore and it is expected to be credited by the end of this week, according to sources in the BBMP.

In the 2023-24 state budget, the government pledged to release Rs 3,000 crore to the BBMP for various programmes.

BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath had requested the government to release Rs 750 crore as the first installment, citing a pending bill of Rs 1,542 crore that needs to be cleared.

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The BBMP’s letter stated that numerous projects, including major roads, flyovers, and corridor improvement works, are currently underway, and timely payment of bills is crucial to ensure smooth progress.

According to the letter, the BBMP owes Rs 470 crore to contractors for bills submitted in January, Rs 520 crore for February, and Rs 552 crore for March.

In response to the BBMP’s request, the government has sanctioned Rs 675 crore, with Rs 486 crore allocated for clearing project-related bills, Rs 134 crore for works related to the Scheduled Caste (SC) category, and Rs 54 crore for tribals (Girijana Upa Yojane).

Senior BBMP officers have temporarily suspended clearing bills for contractors for a period of four days, until May 10, due to the election week.

“We do not want the payment to cause any issues,” said a source. It has been reported that some officers in the BBMP’s accounts' section were reprimanded following complaints from contractors regarding their unusual demands.