BBMP’s SC survey budget may touch ₹3 crore

Sticker cost at ₹70 lakh; social media campaign racks up ₹28 lakh

Bengaluru

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has spent over ₹1.48 crore so far on its ongoing survey of the Scheduled Caste (SC) population within city limits — and the final bill may touch ₹3 crore, sources within the civic body have revealed.

A large chunk of the expenditure has gone into printing stickers and running digital campaigns. Of the current spend, nearly ₹70 lakh was allocated to stickers alone, while about ₹28 lakh was used to promote awareness through Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms. The projected cost for stickers, pamphlet distribution, and engaging field workers stands at ₹1.75 crore,” said Suralkar Vikas Kishore, the nodal officer for the survey. “The BBMP has also deployed street plays, short films, IEC materials, and social media drives to reach citizens,” he added.

₹49.5 lakh for just two short films?

According to sources, two short films produced for the campaign garnered over 60 lakh views across social media — but the viewership came at a cost. With 18% GST factored in, the BBMP reportedly spent ₹49.56 lakh on digital promotion. Production of the films, including hiring scriptwriters, voice artists, music, and camera equipment, cost another ₹12 lakh.

Allegations of irregularities and staff suspension

Despite the heavy spending, the credibility of the survey has come under question. Several residents have reported that stickers were pasted on doors without any actual data collection. In some wards, this led to confrontations between survey enumerators and residents.

In response to complaints, BBMP has suspended seven revenue officials for dereliction of duty during the survey process.

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