BNP questions BBMP’s SWM fund usage, opposes additional user fee

The Bengaluru Nava Nirmana Party has questioned the transparency in the usage of the city’s ₹1,000 crore annual Solid Waste Management fund and the ₹463 crore allocated to the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited for garbage collection. The party has demanded a public audit and disclosure of fund utilisation, asserting that plugging financial leakages would eliminate the need for an additional user fee. BNP Governing Council Member Poongothai Paramasivam criticised the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike for proposing to impose a user fee without justifying the inadequacy of its existing budget. BNP pointed out that while Swachh Survekshan guidelines allow urban local bodies to collect a user fee, it is not mandatory.