BBMP pre-budget meet: MLAs sound alarm on water crisis

During Monday's pre-budget meeting convened by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, nearly half a dozen MLAs from various political parties voiced concerns about the escalating water crisis in different parts of the city.

Despite the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) assuring water supply to 110 villages by March this year, scepticism persists among some MLAs who argue that the board has yet to complete pipeline works in several areas.

MLAs S Muniraj, Byrathi Basavaraj, ST Somashekar, Muniratna N, and M Krishnappa extensively discussed the water-related challenges in their respective assembly constituencies. Beyond relying solely on Cauvery water, some of them urged the government to explore alternative solutions promptly.

The primary purpose of the meeting was to gather insights for the BBMP budget, currently being formulated by bureaucrats in the absence of an elected council for the fourth consecutive year. While the budget size is anticipated to exceed Rs 10,000 crore, the civic body's annual expenditure remains around Rs 4,000 crore.

Property tax

The discussion also touched upon property tax, with certain MLAs objecting to the BBMP's imposition of penalties and interest on uncollected property taxes for residents and commercial establishments. They asked for relief, claiming that property owners are unfairly penalised.

MLAs like Ravi Subramanya and CK Ramamurthy were unhappy over the BBMP's deviation from Indian Road Congress (IRC) guidelines in road development.

Bengaluru Rural MP DK Suresh questioned the closure of parks after 10 am, even with deployed security guards. He proposed keeping parks open throughout the day, with security guards actively patrolling the premises.