PIL seeks removal of 36 BBMP corporators

A PIL has been filed in the Karnataka High Court seeking the removal of 36 Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) corporators for not filing details of their assets and liabilities for the financial year 2016-17.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, social activist and the petitioner, Anil Shetty, alleged that the list has grown over the recent years. He said the government is negligent as the violators are part of the coalition government.

“According to the Karnataka Municipal Corporation (KMC) Act, 1976, column 19, a corporator who fails to furnish details of assets/liabilities should be disqualified from elected office. Following our complaint, the regional commissioner had written a letter to the BBMP commissioner, who in response said this is beyond his ambit. Two corporators – Ramila Umashankar and V Elumalai – are posthumously included in the final list of violators,” Anil Shetty said.

Shetty accused the state govt of being defensive, as the corporators in question belong to the Congress-JD(S) coalition. “If they lose numbers they will lose power in the BBMP. So, by delaying action against the corporators, they want to hold on to power and finish the term,” Shetty added.