Fund transfer triggers spat among councillors

A bitter political slugfest over transfer of funds between two Assembly constituencies belonging to the Congress and the BJP was averted on Tuesday with Mayor Sampath Raj assuring the BBMP Council to maintain the status quo.

Kicking up a political controversy on Monday, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike council meeting agenda revealed that the funds meant for Chickpet constituency have been transferred to Jayanagar constituency.

BBMP opposition leaders criticised the “politically motivated” move. Leader of opposition in the BBMP, Padmanabha Reddy, said, “Previously, the Chickpet constituency was held by the Congress and Jayanagar was with the BJP. However, post polls the scenario has been reversed and accordingly, they have transferred the funds. This is nothing but a politically motivated move.”

On Tuesday, BJP corporators led by Chickpet MLA Uday Garudachar raised the issue in the council and demanded that the funds be redirected to Chickpet constituency. The issue triggered a minor spat between the ruling Congress and opposition BJP which was later doused by the mayor.

Speaking to DH, Uday Garudachar said, “When I got to know of the fund transfer, I wrote a letter to Mayor Sampath Raj and urged him to bring the issue during council meeting. But when the agenda also mentioned that it was transferred to Jayanagar, the corporators began to confront the mayor, seeking clarity.”

Intervening in the debate, Sampath Raj said, “We will retain the funds meant for Chickpet constituency and spend it on various works across the constituency.”

However, when DH reached out to Jayanagar MLA Sowmya Reddy, she said she was unaware of the spat.

“I had requested the BBMP for allocation of funds to Jayanagar constituency and submitted a eport on probable works to make it a model constituency. But I am not aware of the debate about the transfer of funds between the constituencies.”