BENGALURU: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has planned to open dedicated accounts for speedy clearance of payments related to works on maintenance of roads, storm water drains (SWDs) and potholes in the city. This decision by the BBMP comes in the wake of Karnataka High Court slamming the civic body over the poor condition of roads, SWDs and not attending to potholes immediately.
Perceiving that funds mobilisation was one of the main reasons for slow movement on the said works, the civic body has decided to set up these dedicated accounts. This means that BBMP will have accounts specifically to deal with each of these works and not one account for works categorised under “civic works”, which will allow the civic agency to spend money on immediate repair/maintenance works be it potholes, SWDs or roads.
One benefit of having these dedicated funds is that the BBMP will not have to wait for government’s or council’s approval for taking up these immediate works as the dedicated account will be deposited with funds directly from BBMP, the state finance committee and Nagarothana.
According to BBMP, there are allocations of Rs 2 crore to the core area wards and Rs 3 crore for newly-added 110 wards of BBMP every year. There are rules in Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act allowing 10 per cent of the grants to be utilised for maintenance of roads, drains and other immediate works.
The BBMP has decided to deposit imprest cash to its Assistant Engineers (AE) and Assistant Executive Engineers (AEE) in 63 sub-divisions of 8 zones of the BBMP. While AEs will have `1 lakh to spend on the immediate public works, AEEs will have Rs 25,000 deposited to take up immediate repair works at ward level.
Imprest cash are accounts which have a fixed amount kept ready, and which are replenished if amounts (generally very small amounts) are spent from wwwit.
Speaking to City Express, Manoj Kumar Mweena, Special Commissioner (Projects), BBMP said, “The dedicated account will be opened in the name of potholes, SWDs, and road maintenance soon. It will help us plan the works we have to take up and make payments to the contractors immediately and attend to the complaints quickly. Meanwhile, the imprest cash will be deposited to all AEES and AEs account so that they can take up the emergency work without waiting for funds to be allotted by the government.
They can immediately make payments to the contractors who have taken up small work. Many contractors, who take up small work not exceeding the bill of `1 lakh, refuse to take up the work as the payment process is too long. But by this method, we can immediately fix the problems,” he said.