JOIN USAs the countdown for setting up the ward committees (WC) in 198 BBMP wards has begun, corporators are running around looking for nominees for the committees.
The Karnataka High Court has set January 21 as the deadline to make the WCs functional in all the wards. Some corporators are, however, not happy with the decision taken by the High Court. One of the senior corporators from JD(S) who did not wish to be named said that forming WCs will lead to corruption.
Scope for partiality
A senior corporator from Congress said that since the committee is headed by the respective councilors there are high chances of partiality creeping into the system.
“A corporator might select his/her own supporters or others with vested interests. Another major drawback is that as the corporator himself is the chairperson of WC, he has the power to nominate anyone,” he added.
The Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976, clearly defines the constitution of the ward committee. It provides specific details of WC’s functioning, composition and manner of filling the seats. The WC responsibilities include supervising solid waste management, sanitation work in the ward, maintenance of parks, streetlights, water supply and sewerage, utilisation of funds, collection of fees, submitting the ward development scheme proposed for allotment of funds among others.
Special session
Each WC will have at least two SC/ST members, three women and two from the local Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA). In order to nominate members and also to constitute WC, the BBMP has called for a special session on January 15.
Some RWAs are not even informed about the WC by corporators.
Akshai Mallappa, Secretary, Defence Colony Residents’ Welfare Association said that till date the BBMP authorities had approached them for members interested in getting nominated to WC. “As there are many RWAs in this constituency, we do not know who has been nominated.”