BBMP starts gifting books instead of bouquets

Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) ordered stopping the custom with immediate effect, after the Karnataka government issued a notice asking to stop the practice of giving bouquets, garlands, shawls, or gifts at civic events and instead to gift Kannada books.

According to a circular issued by BBMP, all the events at BBMP will stop the custom of giving bouquets, garlands, shawls, or gifts.
In lieu of gifts, books in the administrative language Kannada can be presented.

The Chief Commissioner has issued a circular confirming this and has stated that strict measures will be taken again those disobeying this.

Earlier this week Chief Minister who chaired a meeting of senior police officials refused to accept a flower bouquet, and said that the practice of giving garland, shawls and bouquets in the name of protocol should be done away with, terming it as “unnecessary expenditure”.

Subsequently, the Chief Secretary issued a circular directing not to give garland, shawls, flower bouquets, fruit baskets and memorabilia at meetings and events by the state government and the government-run-institutions.

All department heads and government undertakings have been asked to comply with the directions, it said.

Cost-cutting has been a priority for the new CM who took over on July 28 — in fact, Bommai had brought up the topic at his first meeting with bureaucrats on the same day.