Bangalore to have smaller, compact wards; bill passed

The Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2009, enables enhancement of maximum number of wards for a corporation to 200.

It provides for nomination of members equal to ten per cent of the total number of members in the council, instead of ten members, from among the city residents to BBMP, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar said.

The House passed the Karnataka Municipalities and Certain Other Law (Amendment) Bill, 2009, to facilitate the State Election Commission to use electronic voting machines in the elections to the urban local bodies.

Suresh Kumar said the EVMs would be manufactured by the Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL),adding,the Legislative measure would entail an approximate expenditure of Rs 11 crore.

The Karnataka Stamp (Second Amendment) Bill, 2009 facilitating reduction of the stamp duty on sale transactions of all kinds of immovable properties including agricultural land from 7.5 per cent to six per cent, was passed by the Assembly.

Another bill that received the nod in the Legislature is the Karnataka Essential Services Maintenance Bill, 2009, which prohibits refusal to work in certain essential services connected with production, generation, storage, transmission, supply or distribution of water or electricity, and transport service for the carriage of passengers or goods.