The Karnataka High Court on Thursday asked the Bengaluru municipal corporation to transfer Rs 55.65 crore dues of beggary cess collected from tax payers to the Central Relief Committee within 4 months.
The civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike sought 6 months to clear the dues collected as beggary cess and stated the amount that has been utilised by it for other purposes.
The BBMP collected Rs 600 crore as beggary cess between 2008-09 and 2022. Under the directions of the HC which is hearing PIL on the issue of children being forced to sell trinkets at traffic signals, the civic body has transferred most of it to the Central Relief Committee, which works on rehabilitating beggars.
The BBMP filed an affidavit through its Chief Accountant Raju SK. It stated that as of now a sum of Rs 55.65 crore is to be paid to CRC and sought an outer limit of 6 months to clear the entire dues in 3 installments.
The BBMP claimed that, “Making payment at once will put strain on the finances of the Corporation and disrupt other priority projects where the BBMP is to release funds.”
Rejecting this statement, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit stated, “This stand of BBMP cannot be accepted as wholesome for the reason that BBMP cannot utilise particular funds to make good of its financial constraints.”
However, considering that BBMP deposited some money, the HC stated that reasonable time could be granted.
CJ stated in his order, “BBMP has shown some positive response by depositing Rs 20 crore. We deem it appropriate to grant some reasonable time to BBMP and accordingly though the respondent BBMP makes a request to grant time by putting it at an outer limit of six months, we direct respondent BBMP to clear the dues to the tune of Rs 55.65 crore within four months only.”
The court specified that there won’t be an extension of time. The court ordered. “We further make it clear that no extension of time would be granted on any count. List after four months for compliance report.”
A report by the Police Department through Nagendra Kumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Office of IG&DG of Police, was also perused by the HC during the hearing of the PIL.
The report shared details of children rescued from the streets.
