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The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Karnataka government tabled the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Bill, 2020 in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday. The Bill is to enable public participation in various levels of municipal governance.
On tabling the Bill by the State Revenue Minister R Ashok, few ruling party members opposed it and demanded a detailed discussion.
On seeing the resistance, the Law Minister JC Madhuswamy intervened and urged the Speaker to refer the Bill to legislature’s joint select committee.
While tabling the BBMP Bill, Ashok said “The Bill provides for an independent legislation for the purpose of improving decentralisation, integration of public participation at various levels of municipal governance and also to ensure efficient decision making by the BBMP.”
Principal opposition party MLAs, who staged a walkout, wrote a letter to the Speaker urging him take the Opposition into confidence and call for a detailed consultation before the passage of the Bill.
The Bill has 20 chapters dealing with corporation authorities, constitution of the corporation, elections, functions of mayor, deputy mayor, chief commissioner, zonal committees, standing committees, ward committees and area Sabhas.
The Bill also specifies powers and functions of the corporation, properties of corporation, contracts, taxes imposed, finance, accounts and audits, streets, regulation of buildings, prohibition of nuisance, duties on public health, disaster management, waste management, urban heritage, licences and fees, power regarding rules and bye-laws.
Ashok said “The city currently is governed under the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act, with elected representativeslike MLAs, Mayor and Corporators do have adequate powers.” The Act is inadequate in administrative and structural matters to govern Bengaluru.
The city has 1.2 crore population and has problems with regard to disposal of waste and handling sewerage. It also provides for limited flexibility and is a common legislation catering to nine smaller municipal corporations in the State.”
“Keeping elected members in mind and as city of Bengaluru is a major centre of economic activity with large and growing population with 714 square kilometres of area under its jurisdiction we are bringing a comprehensive Bill,” he said.
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