The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Monday presented the budget for the financial year 2020-21 with an outlay of Rs 10,896 crore.

For the first time in the civic body’s history, the budget was presented via video conference, which the corporators witnessed sitting in zonal offices, strictly adhering to social distancing rule.

The presentation lasted an hour, which the BBMP council approved immediately and unanimously. The budget, which envisages Rs 10,899.23 crore of receipts and an expenditure of Rs 10,895.84 crore, is lower in the total outlay compared to that of 2019-20.

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Amid growing concerns over Covid-19, the budget neither had any plans to address the spread of the coronavirus nor any measures to rehabilitate the distressed workforce facing unemployment.

Populist programmes

With an eye on the BBMP polls that are scheduled for September-October 2020, Taxation Committee Chairperson L Srinivas gave thrust to populist programmes such as free water to all, the building of welcome arches in various directions of the city in the name of Kempegowda, the founder of Bengaluru, free bus passes for students of BBMP schools and colleges, distribution of free laptops and the beautification of circles, road medians and the outer ring road.

In the 40-page budget speech, Srinivas mentioned Covid-19 only once and announced that out of Rs 2-crore funds for each ward, Rs 25 lakh will be given to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. He set aside Rs 49.50 crore for the purpose.

Clarifying this, Mayor Goutham Kumar said: “There is no condition on spending Rs 25 lakh for the Covid-19 work as the government is spearheading all the relief works relating to Covid-19.”

For infrastructure

Besides funding populist programmes, about 49% of the total outlay has been set aside infrastructure works, which include several ongoing projects in various parts of the city.

Allaying the fears that only a few wards have been provided with funds, Revenue Minister R Ashoka said: “The allocation has been made keeping in mind the funds given out in the past four years. Whichever ward had missed out previously has been accommodated this time.”

The minister, however, said that the budget would be placed before the government for approval, during which there will be slight adjustments in the annual expenditure and estimates.