BBMP Invites Corporates: BBMP Invites Corporates to Maintain TenderSURE Roads with CSR Funds | Bengaluru News
Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has invited expressions of interest (EoIs) from corporates, IT companies, builders and developers under their CSR initiatives for maintaining TenderSURE roads.
It relates to 12 roads of a total length of 13 km in the city’s central business district.
The maintenance works to be taken up under ‘Namma Raste’ programme, include deep cleaning of the interlocking cobblestones laid for footpaths, painting/replacement of bollards provided for bicycle lanes, maintenance of green hedge with ornamental plants, replacement of broken gratings provided for drainage and maintenance of utility ducts, suction of silt deposit from inside circular stormwater drains, maintenance/repair of burnt out streetlights and additional features to enhance the aesthetic features.On whether BBMP was washing its hands of its core responsibilities like road maintenance and passing them on to the private sector, its chief commissioner Tushar Giri Nath said, “We have chosen those roads which are very much in the commercial areas and are TenderSURE roads where we have done beautification… So people will be interested in taking up the maintenance of these roads. Once private companies take over such things, the service levels may also improve.”
“We have invited EoI only for TenderSURE roads because there is a lot of greenery, and they can deploy better machines and also gain the goodwill of people. We will also have better management of money. We are not talking about the maintenance of the main carriageway like putting roads or filling potholes. Rather it is just with footpaths, median maintenance and greenery maintenance,” he explained.
Asked if these responsibilities can be part of CSR expenditure, Nath said beautification works are already being taken up by companies in the city. He said road safety is also included under CSR activities “and hence we have mentioned that companies can use their CSR funds for the same”.
“It is left to them what funds they use. It is just that they might have to oblige to our norms if they take up any road-maintenance work under the Namma Raste programme,” he added.
An official of a company told TOI that he didn’t know how far CSR funds should be used in road maintenance and beautification, especially in the CBD areas, which is a primary duty of BBMP. “It seems like government pockets are empty and (they) are looking at money from corporates to maintain basic infrastructure,” he added.
Sirkanth Narasimhan, BNP founder and general secretary, opposed BBMP seeking CSR funds for road upkeep. “Before seeking any CSR funds, BBMP needs to bring in transparency in its existing annual spend of Rs 10,000 crore. The main issue is there’s no accountability. Open and transparent governance is essential for the sustainable development of our city.”
It relates to 12 roads of a total length of 13 km in the city’s central business district.
The maintenance works to be taken up under ‘Namma Raste’ programme, include deep cleaning of the interlocking cobblestones laid for footpaths, painting/replacement of bollards provided for bicycle lanes, maintenance of green hedge with ornamental plants, replacement of broken gratings provided for drainage and maintenance of utility ducts, suction of silt deposit from inside circular stormwater drains, maintenance/repair of burnt out streetlights and additional features to enhance the aesthetic features.On whether BBMP was washing its hands of its core responsibilities like road maintenance and passing them on to the private sector, its chief commissioner Tushar Giri Nath said, “We have chosen those roads which are very much in the commercial areas and are TenderSURE roads where we have done beautification… So people will be interested in taking up the maintenance of these roads. Once private companies take over such things, the service levels may also improve.”
“We have invited EoI only for TenderSURE roads because there is a lot of greenery, and they can deploy better machines and also gain the goodwill of people. We will also have better management of money. We are not talking about the maintenance of the main carriageway like putting roads or filling potholes. Rather it is just with footpaths, median maintenance and greenery maintenance,” he explained.
Asked if these responsibilities can be part of CSR expenditure, Nath said beautification works are already being taken up by companies in the city. He said road safety is also included under CSR activities “and hence we have mentioned that companies can use their CSR funds for the same”.
“It is left to them what funds they use. It is just that they might have to oblige to our norms if they take up any road-maintenance work under the Namma Raste programme,” he added.
An official of a company told TOI that he didn’t know how far CSR funds should be used in road maintenance and beautification, especially in the CBD areas, which is a primary duty of BBMP. “It seems like government pockets are empty and (they) are looking at money from corporates to maintain basic infrastructure,” he added.
Sirkanth Narasimhan, BNP founder and general secretary, opposed BBMP seeking CSR funds for road upkeep. “Before seeking any CSR funds, BBMP needs to bring in transparency in its existing annual spend of Rs 10,000 crore. The main issue is there’s no accountability. Open and transparent governance is essential for the sustainable development of our city.”