Karnataka Assembly session: BJP questions benefits of Greater Bengaluru Authority; Bill passed
The intention of the GBA, headed by the Chief Minister, was to control five city corporations and destroy their autonomous powers, claimed Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok.
Speaking on the Bill, Mr. Ashok, C.N. Aswanth Narayan, S. Suresh Kumar, Satish Reddy, S. Muniraju, Ravi Subramanya, and C.K. Ramamurthy (all BJP) termed the formation of Greater Bengaluru and the division of the erstwhile single city corporation into five city corporations as 'unconstitutional'. Instead of empowerment, GBA has disempowered the local bodies, they claimed.
Who heads corporations
Noting that Mayors head city corporations, BJP members questioned the necessity of setting up the GBA headed by the Chief Minister. Mr. Ahsok said the GBA aimed at centralisation of powers in the hands of the Chief Minister and Ministers, and demanded the withdrawal of the Bill.
Mr. Subramanya said the division of the city into five corporations led to imbalances in revenue generation and development among civic bodies.
Mr. Reddy said there was no clarity about the GBA and the Bill, and already the Commissioner has issued notices to 30,000 households for paying additional taxes. The Commissioner had not held a single meeting with the city MLAs to address the grievances, such as those concerning the e-Khata. The power and water connections have been denied to residents residing in small buildings having no occupancy certificates.
Meanwhile, Mr. Muniraju claimed that Assembly constituencies represented by the BJP have now fallen into different corporations. For instance, the Dasarahalli constituency areas have come under two city corporations, which led to confusion among the public, he said. The Bill was passed in the House later.
Why amendment
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, said some people had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the court, which has been rejected. However, an amendment had to be carried out to clarify that 'the GBA will not interfere in the functioning of the corporations', to avoid any confusion in future.
The PIL had claimed that the government was planning to take control of the corporations. 'Our intention is that the Mayor and councillors must have full powers in the corporation as per the Constitution,' Mr. Shivakumar said. He noted that Mahadevapura contributes the highest taxes in Bengaluru, and there was not much collection in central areas.
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