BBMP office.
Credit: DH Photo
The BBMP’s eight zones may soon become more accessible to citizens because the state government is planning to appoint IAS officers as full-time zonal commissioners for each zone. This move could also enhance accountability within the zones and reduce the burden on the BBMP’s chief commissioner.
The government’s intent became clear when it appointed two officers with independent charges on Wednesday. According to the order, Deepak RL was assigned as the zonal commissioner for BBMP’s west zone, while Suralkar Vikas Kishore was assigned to the RR Nagar zone.
Officials within the BBMP indicated that the government intends to appoint officers of no lower rank than secretary grade to oversee all zones, including East, Mahadevapura, South, and others. Zonal commissioners are expected to manage various aspects of the zone, including revenue collection, town planning approvals, and development works.
Similar to the role of additional deputy commissioners (ADCs) in the district, the joint commissioners will have a secondary role.
Previously, the position of zonal commissioners was given as an additional responsibility to officers holding positions like special commissioners in various BBMP departments, such as finance, revenue, and administration. While the aim was to empower the zones, the special commissioners did not spend significant time in the zones as it was just an additional responsibility.
According to sources, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar suggested these changes when he found out that the special commissioners were not dedicating sufficient time to the zones or engaging with citizens.
Apart from zonal commissioners, the new BBMP Act has also introduced the concept of zonal committees to facilitate greater citizen participation. However, due to the prolonged delay in holding BBMP elections, zonal committees have not been formed thus far.