#MyCityMyBudget to focus on public toilets, footpaths

Bengaluru: Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Janaagraha, an NGO jointly launched #MyCityMyBudget – The Citizen Participation in BBMP Budget 2021-22 campaign via online mode from the BBMP War Room.

"BBMP and Janaagraha are jointly launching the #MyCityMyBudget campaign and inviting inputs from citizens through email/apps/forms or even through our budget van," said civic body commissioner N Manjunath Prasad.

"In 2017-18 we received 22,000 inputs which helped us a great deal. This year, while creating the budget, we want to have a special focus on public toilets and pedestrian-friendly footpaths. We hope to bring an end to public urination, with well-maintained public toilets and are committing the budget for the same. This meeting is my call to all citizens of Bengaluru to participate and give us your inputs on what you think Bengaluru needs. Let's work together with the funds we have and build toilets that every citizen can use, repair and put right all roads, so people enjoy our city and its beautiful weather."

"The yellow spots are a literal blot on our city. Public urination cannot be stopped until it becomes a movement of the people. Janaagraha is proud to launch the acclaimed participatory budget programme MyCityMyBudget this year with a focus on public toilets and footpaths. We invite all civic organisations to be part of this movement to end public urination and fix our footpaths this year without fail," said Janaagraha Civic Participation Head Srinivas Alavilli.

"Bengaluru has several infrastructure issues. BBMP and Janaagraha are working together to solve these and hence improve the quality of life. This year MyCityMyBudget is focusing on improving public toilets and hence putting an end to public urination and also repairing footpaths and making them pedestrian-friendly. As citizens, we can participate by identifying "yellow spots" (public urination spots), unusable public toilets and bad footpaths. Once identified, we can ensure they get into the plan of action. Research shows that public urination is connected to the lack of public toilets or unhygienic public toilets. This year's budget will focus on making toilets better and achieve public toilets like "airport quality" as well as build new toilets," said Janaagraha Civic Participation Head Sapna Karim.

She further added, "MCMB campaign to be live for a month. Janaagraha will anchor citizen budget inputs submission with RWA and CSO partners. By the end of January first week, Janaagraha will publish the Citizen Budget Report. By mid-January, citizens, RWAs and CSOs will submit citizens budget reports to BBMP. By mid-February, BBMP will work out costing for inputs received and publish to citizens. By the end of March 2021, BBMP will assess and include Citizen Inputs and release BBMP Budget 2021-22."