Bengaluru: Before BJP exits from power in the BBMP, it ensured that none from its ‘chosen people’ list was left out from receiving the prestigious Kempegowda Award on Friday. As many as 198 people were presented with award during a ceremony organised on the BBMP head office premises on the occasion of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Jayanthi.
Although the number of awardees was expected to reach 150, the BBMP crossed all expectations by including at least 30 names in the last minute. Prominent achievers such as lexicographer G.Venkatasubbaiah, cricketer Vinay Kumar, director K.S.L Swamy, scholar Sudakar Chaturvedi, among others received the award from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Union minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers H.N Ananth Kumar.
Addressing the gathering, Mr Siddaramaiah advised the BBMP officials to learn good administration from the footsteps of city founder Kempegowda. He said, “Bengaluru is better known as Garbage City. All the corporators should take this matter seriously. We should make segregation of garbage at source mandatory to resolve this crisis. We have failed to keep up with the earlier deadline and have asked five months time from Mandur villagers. If we fail this time too, the government will further lose its respect in the eyes of the people.”
He warned that stringent action will be taken against officials if they failed to work efficiently. The Chief Minister, who also holds the urban development portfolio, questioned the officials why they had failed to achieve their target in tax collection. “You have a target of Rs 2,700 crore, but collected only Rs 1,200 crore. You did not even achieve 50 per cent. As a state Finance Minister I have sometimes collected more than 100 per cent of the target amount. If the state can achieve 98 per cent of the target, why not Bengaluru?”
He said the BBMP was presenting an unrealistic budget and the civic agency should present the budget according to its income. “We will support you, but can’t shoulder all the responsibilities,” he added.
Mr Ananth Kumar said the Centre approved installation of Kempegowda’s idol in front of Kempegowda International Airport. “We are also planning to introduce a handbook on Kempegowda and distribute it among air passengers.”
