Powers of B'lore urban special DC curbed

Bangalore Urban is the only district in the State to have a special deputy commissioner.

The post of special deputy commissioner was the most sought after among the Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS) officers, given the wide ranging powers conferred on the officer.

All land-related issues –– conversion, acquisition and revenue –– were entrusted to the special deputy commissioner.

Apparently, this was the post that was ‘auctioned’ for the ‘highest bidder,’ accessible  only to people with high political clout.

All the districts in the State had the post once upon a time and the incumbents specifically dealt with land-related issues.

The Indian Administrative Service lobby succeeded in getting the post scrapped after Land Reforms Act came into force. Revenue department sources said the post was retained in Bangalore Urban purely for political reasons.

However, the notification issued earlier this week, has diluted the crucial powers of a special deputy commissioner.

New powers

The officer will now deal with matters relating to religious endowments, cattle census,  forests, rent control, irrigation and such other functions as directed by the deputy commissioner.

The deputy commissioner  will be all the more powerful with wide range of authorities. Law and order, land acquisition, conversion and land revenue, stamp duty, registration,  excise, elections, civic administration, food and civil supplies now come under the deputy commissioner.