Now, 'poor' BBMP diverts beggary cess

BANGALORE: Every wondered why beggars seem to swarm around idling cars at traffic signals? Or why boys wipe car windshields and girls plead with you to buy roses?
The Central Relief Committee, in charge of rehabilitation of beggars, has the answer. In the last few years, the BBMP has not been remitting the entire amount of cess it collects towards rehabilitation of beggars.
In 2006-2007, it collected Rs 347.25 crore as property tax and was obliged to give Rs 10.42 crore (3%) towards beggary cess.But CRC's statement of accounts show a remittance of only Rs 1 crore. Totally, the civic body owes the committee Rs 28 crore. "How can we carry out effective rehabilitation work with this meagre amount?" asks a senior official.
As per norms, BBMP collects 34% of the property tax in the form of cess. While 3% of it beggary cess, 10% goes towards health. Education cess accounts for 15% and 6% is library cess.
"The civic body does not remit the education, health and library cess to the government because it runs its own schools, primary health centres and public libraries without government funding. That's not the case with the beggary cess," an official said.
The BBMP has its own reasons for not channelising the beggary cess to its rightful recipient. "By every month end, the priority is to ready the amounts towards pension and salaries, which amounts to about Rs 15 crore. Then, there is the committed expenditure of solid waste management. There are ongoing infrastructure projects. From where should be find money to be given to the Central Relief Committee?" asked a senior official from the BBMP accounts department.
CRC president N Ramaiah says: "We have asked the BBMP to upgrade its facility with new buildings for rehabilitation. It has not taken off due to various reasons but we are hopeful."
toiblr.reporter@timesgroup.com