Bangalore civic body wins award, but it didn’t know for which category

Bangalore’s first citizen, BBMP mayor R Sharadamma, and deputy mayor S Harish were in Mumbai, along with other BBMP officials on Friday, to receive the Nagar Ratna award for best financial management (under the individual category) from president Pratibha Patil.

Ironically, the BBMP was not aware why it received the award!
An official release sent by the BBMP on July 6 said the BBMP bagged the award for solid waste management and other best practices. However, the award was conferred for best financial management.

All-India Institute of Local Self Government, an autonomous institute focused on local self-governance, instituted the ‘Nagar Ratna Award’ for the best performing JN-NURM cities. Three cities (under best performing local bodies category) and 10 local bodies (under individual category) were chosen.

Ironically, the cash-strapped BBMP, which has an outstanding loan of Rs2,923 crore, has been conferred with the award for best financial management. Sharadamma and Harish received the award, which includes a citation and certificate.Blushes for mayor of Kalyan-Dombivli

The Kalyan-Dombivli municipal corporation has bagged a national award for the best road development by any civic body in the country. The region has some of the worst roads in the city, a fact admitted by its mayor Vaijayanti Gujar.

“Right now, the roads of my city are definitely not in an award-winning condition,” she said sheepishly after president Pratibha Patil conferred the All-India Institute of Local Self-Government’s Nagar Ratna award at a ceremony in Mumbai on Friday.