HC gives final chance to BBMP to deposit beggary cess

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The High Court on Wednesday gave a final chance to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to deposit the beggary cess collected by it to the Central Relief Committee.

The division bench of Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice MGS Kamal gave the civic body two weeks to comply with the order.

The HC was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) on the issue of children being forced to sell toys and trinkets at traffic signals.

Earlier this year the HC had directed the State Government to submit a report on the implementation of the Karnataka Prohibition of Beggary Act.

The BBMP had informed the HC that it had collected Rs 600 crore in beggary cess between 2008-09 and 2022. Of this, it had deposited Rs 400 crore with the Central Relief Committee. Following the direction of the HC, the BBMP had deposited Rs.10 crore.

The State Government has claimed that urban local boides across Karnataka are still to deposit Rs 29.51 crore cess collected by them.