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BENGALURU: The BBMP has deposited Rs 500 crore in an escrow account for rejuvenation and development of Bellandur Lake. This comes after the National Green Tribunal dismissed a Karnataka government plea to review its earlier order directing the opening of the account.

The civic agency has used the money from the Rs 2,280-crore grants released by the Karnataka government under the capital support to special infrastructure projects of Bengaluru.

Apart from depositing the money in the account, the NGT had directed the BBMP to deposit Rs 50 crore with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) by way of interim compensation for the restoration of environment. Further, it had also asked the civic body to utilise Rs 20 crore to take up a special infrastructure project.

BELLANDUR LAKE

‘Up to the engineers, officers to utilise funds’

In its note on the financial implications of the NGT order, the finance department stated: “The proposal has been examined and the finance department agrees to release Rs 550 crore immediately, while the remaining amount may be borne by BBMP from its own funds.”

In all, the state government had recently released Rs 1,160 crore to the civic agency for special infrastructure projects of Bengaluru.

BBMP chief accounts officer R Govindaraju confirmed that Rs 500 crore had been deposited in the escrow account. “Now it is up to the engineers and officers to utilise it and prepare an action plan for the development of Bellandur Lake,” he said. The order on depositing with CPCB too has been followed.

