BBMP budget: Rs 1,580 cr allotted to Brand Bengaluru concept
Bengaluru: The Bengaluru civic agency on Thursday presented a budget of Rs 12,369.46 crore and of which Rs 1,580 crore was allotted to the eight-fold Brand Bengaluru concept.
The eight categories of Brand Bengaluru concept involve 'Sugama Sanchara Bengaluru' (Easy mobility Bengaluru), Clean Bengaluru, Green Bengaluru, Healthy Bengaluru, Education Bengaluru, Tech Bengaluru, Vibrant Bengaluru and Water Security Bengaluru.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is expecting a total receipts of Rs 12,371.63 crore comprising its opening balance of Rs 8,294.04 crore and central and state grants of Rs 4,077.59 crore.
To improve its property tax collection, the BBMP said it has scanned all the 20 lakh properties in the city and will issue e-Khata (legal document) to the property owners.
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''The 'Namma Swathu' system through 'e-Aasthi' rollout will be implemented in all the wards under the BBMP, enabling the public to access property records online anytime and anywhere, creating a transparent and citizen-friendly system,'' the civic agency said in its budget.
The transactions in the Sub-Registrar offices will be based on the e-Khata with tight integration of 'Namma Swathu' with the KAVERI-2 portal in order to prevent any fraudulent manual transactions.
The transactions in Sub-Registrar offices will electronically flow to the 'Namma Swathu' system of BBMP and the process of mutation will automatically start electronically.
The civic agency said Aadhaar seeding in BBMP property records will be done through a campaign on a voluntary basis.
The owners who opt for Aadhaar seeding will get multiple benefits such as added security of their properties from any fraudulent transactions, secure and automated mutations when the Aadhaar-based transactions are done at Sub-Registrar offices.
BlockChain technology shall be implemented and rolled out ward wise with respect to property records of the BBMP as and when the digitisation of it is completed in a ward. This will prevent unauthorised manipulation of property records by anyone, the civic agency said.
The BBMP said it will roll out the 'Guidance Value based property tax system' from April 1, 2024.
A new advertisement policy and infotech based transparent online system for the creation and issuance of Transferable Development Rights (TDR) has also been promised.
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4% quota for Muslim contractors: BJP to challenge K'taka's 'unconstitutional move' in court
New Delhi/Bengaluru, Mar 17 (PTI): The BJP on Monday termed the Karnataka government’s proposal to provide four per cent reservation to Muslims in government contracts an "unconstitutional misadventure" and said it will oppose the move at all levels, including challenging it in court, until it is rolled back.
The ruling Congress in Karnataka and the BJP hit out at each other over the issue in the Assembly.
Earlier on Friday, the Cabinet approved an amendment to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act, reserving four per cent of contracts for Muslims in civil works valued up to Rs two crore and goods/services contracts up to Rs one crore.
"The BJP firmly opposes the proposed unconstitutional move and demands that the Siddaramaiah government immediately roll it back," BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, who represents the Bangalore South Lok Sabha seat, told a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi.
He alleged that the Siddaramaiah-led government’s decision was a "calculated move" to appease Muslims, "at the direction and patronage of the Congress top leadership, particularly Rahul Gandhi."
"This patently unconstitutional and prima facie illegal act will be challenged in court. The BJP will fight against the move both inside the Assembly and on the streets. We will also raise the issue in Parliament and protest outside it," Surya said.
The BJP MP said that the Karnataka government’s move is a threat to national integrity, unity, and sovereignty.
"We will fight and oppose this in the courtroom. We will take the fight to the people of Karnataka. Until this unconstitutional move is rolled back, the BJP’s fight will continue," he added.
Meanwhile, in the Karnataka Assembly, the ruling Congress and the BJP once again sparred on Monday over the budgetary provision of four per cent reservation for Muslims in government contracts.
The Congress rejected the BJP’s allegation that religion-based reservation is "against constitutional provisions."
Defending the reservation, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said that Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and Buddhists are citizens of this country.
"We have concerns for minorities and backward communities. When the BJP says it wants to take everyone along, let it appoint Christian and Muslim ministers. Only then does BJP state president B Y Vijayendra have the right to speak about equality. Let him read the state anthem written by Kuvempu—then he will understand what makes Karnataka a peaceful garden," Shivakumar told reporters.
Hitting back at Shivakumar, Vijayendra said that it was the BJP government, not the Congress, that had appointed Dr A P J Abdul Kalam as the President of India.
"We appointed Najma Heptulla, Justice Abdul Nazeer, and Arif Mohammed Khan as governors. Musician Ustad Bismillah Khan was bestowed with the Bharat Ratna by the BJP government," Vijayendra told reporters.
According to him, Congress's appeasement politics is not new.
He questioned the Congress party’s concern for Dalits, asking where it was when its MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy’s house was "torched by Muslim hooligans".
The Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R Ashoka, claimed that several Supreme Court judgments have stated that there is no provision in the Constitution for religion-based reservations.
"Yet, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wore a ‘topi’ (skull cap), organised Tipu Jayanti, and introduced Shaadi Bhagya (launched in 2013, it provides financial assistance to economically backward minority women). He gave grants to Muslims beyond what they had asked for. Now, by offering four per cent reservation in contracts to Muslims, the Congress government has made an assault on Hindus," he alleged.
Ashoka argued that there had never been a religion-based contract system in Karnataka, but the government had introduced one, which could lead to conflicts between communities.
In the Karnataka Legislative Council, Leader of the Opposition, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy raised the issue.
He said that religion-based reservation is "not allowed under the Constitution."
"You have granted four per cent reservation to Muslims in contracts. We oppose religion-based reservations. I urge the government through you not to implement it," he stated.
Countering him, Congress MLA B K Hariprasad asserted that the reservation aligns with constitutional provisions.
