Schools, health centres to come under BBMP ambit

Apart from public libraries in its limits, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) may soon have ownership of schools and health centres as well.

The BBMP has requested the chief secretary, T M Vijay Bhaskar, to handover all the schools and health centres, which are under the Bengaluru Urban zilla panchayat’s purview at the moment.

The BBMP has been asked to identify schools that come under its jurisdiction. The civic body is currently conducting a survey in this regard, that will be completed soon.

The BBMP owns 88 primary health centres, 19 maternity hospitals and six referral hospitals in 133 wards. However, more than 50 such facilities in 65 wards are still not under its jurisdiction.

According to the BBMP, the corporators in 198 wards currently have no administrative authority over schools as they are under the zilla panchayat. zilla panchayat-owned health centres in 65 wards spends crores annually.

The BBMP says instead of routing the funds through the zilla panchayat for schools and hospitals, it must be directed through the BBMP. The civic body claims it shall develop infrastructure in these schools and health centres.

The government has agreed to the move and has asked the BBMP to place the subject before the council for approval. According to a top BBMP official, the subject will be placed in the council meeting this month where it will be approved.

“Post approval, we will send it for the government’s nod. We expect these schools and health centres to be handed over to us in two months,” BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad told DH.