Delhi opens door to BATF

BANGALORE: The Bangalore Agenda Task Force (BATF) will stop breathing in the next 45 days, after it gloriously began, but its exemplary idea will be resurrected in New Delhi to kindle this voluntary spirit of partnership for better civic service delivery.
The Congress-led coalition government dilly-dallied and then fell silent on the fate of the BATF.So the agency has begun the process of shutting shop and moving to a more welcoming environment.
BATF chairman and Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani who paid the salaries, rentals for the office in Richmond Town, the computers and telephone rentals and power charges will stop signing the cheques. Nilekani said: "We will lead this to closure after handing over different projects to agencies concerned. I have spent five years leading BATF. Now it is time for change."
BATF was formed through a government order in 1999-2000, but the present coalition has not issued a fresh order extending its lease of life. CM N Dharam Singh has neither said yes, nor no, for the BATF here. But BATF member Kalpana Kar recently met Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit, who was very receptive.
Dikshit was given a presentation on the issues primary health, solid waste management, sanitation, roads, redevelopment of police stations, municipal offices, Fund-Based Accounting System and property tax.
"The MCD has signed an MoU for fund-based accounting and other initiatives based on these BATF projects. Delhi industrialists, bureaucrats and the political system are keen on creating a catalysing body on the lines of BATF," said Kar.
Kar has also started completing the documentation of the work done by BATF in Bangalore. The solid waste collection system, quality toilets, One-Way-System, improvisation of bus stops, etc. "Perhaps the new stake holders will find use for these," she added.
BATF provided an opportunity to the Public-Private-Partnership, and although BATF spent Rs 5.1 crore during this period, they managed to get back over 40 times, that is upwards of Rs 200 crore, spent on Bangalore through various programmes. BATF upgraded the service delivery mechanism here, which now they will do in Delhi.
BATF managed to get push carts to collect door-to-door garbage costing Rs 5,500 a piece. Today, the BCC does not have an annual maintenance contract in place with the result that many of these carts are lying with broken wheels or parts missing.
Nirmala Bangalore toilets lack water because BCC has not paid the BWSSB bills. What will happen to these projects, ask anxious citizens of Bangalore.