Krishna Byre Gowda Pulls Up GBA Officials Over Tree Plantation Costs, Demands Accountability; Sets Three-Year Action Plan for Stray Dog Sterilisation
Bengaluru, June 30: Karnataka’s Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Monday came down heavily on officials of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), questioning alleged irregularities in tree plantation works and directing departments to improve accountability in civic and environmental projects.
During a review meeting with officials of the Forest Department and Animal Husbandry Department under the GBA, the minister sought explanations over the expenditure incurred on plantation drives and expressed concern over the quality of implementation.
Questioning the reported cost of planting a single sapling, Krishna Byre Gowda asked officials whether it was justified to spend around ₹3,300 per sapling, including ₹300 earmarked for digging a pit.
The minister alleged that in several locations, including his own Assembly constituency, saplings had been placed on road medians and footpaths without proper pit excavation.
“I challenge you to prove me wrong. In my constituency, not a single proper pit has been dug for the saplings. They were simply placed on the medians and footpaths. If no pit was dug, how was ₹300 shown as expenditure for pit excavation?” the minister reportedly told officials during the meeting.
He also questioned the implementation of the plantation programme, referring to figures presented during the review. According to the discussion, while authorities claimed that around 20 lakh saplings had been planted, only about nine lakh were reportedly found on the ground. The minister sought clarification regarding the discrepancy and directed officials to provide a detailed account.
Krishna Byre Gowda warned officials that public money must be spent transparently and that every component of government-funded plantation works would be subjected to scrutiny.
Focus on Stray Dog Population Management
The minister also reviewed the functioning of the Animal Husbandry Department, particularly the implementation of stray dog sterilisation and treatment programmes across Bengaluru.
He directed officials to prepare a comprehensive three-year action plan to ensure that all stray dogs are covered under sterilisation and treatment programmes in a phased manner.
Officials informed the meeting that nearly 90,000 to one lakh stray dogs require treatment and sterilisation every year. Acknowledging that achieving complete coverage within a single year may not be feasible, the minister instructed the department to formulate a structured roadmap to achieve 100 per cent coverage within three years.
He emphasised that systematic planning and continuous implementation are essential for effective stray dog population management and improving public safety across Bengaluru.
The minister directed both departments to strengthen monitoring mechanisms, improve transparency in execution, and ensure that government funds are utilised efficiently for public welfare projects.
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