JOIN USA KPCC committee set up to look into the possibility of splitting the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) held its first meeting with the party leaders from the City and elicited their suggestions in this regard.
Sources said the committee members were divided in their opinion on whether to bifurcate or trifurcate the BBMP for its better administration. Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who is also Bangalore Urban district in-charge minister, Congress MLAs of Bangalore, former MLAs also took part in the meeting held at the KPCC main office on Queen’s Road. The panel is headed by senior Congress leader B L Shankar.
Sources said some leaders suggested a separate legislation for Bangalore administration on the lines of Karnataka Municipal Corporation (KMC) Act.
Currently, the BBMP is governed by the KMC Act. Civic administration in Bangalore is entirely different from that in other corporations of the State. So a separate legislation has to be enacted to deal with the challenges pertaining to the administration in Bangalore, the leaders are learnt to have suggested.
Some of them suggested that a single mayor for Bangalore even after the division of the BBMP. Almost all the leaders and the committee members are learnt to have said that both the party and the government should seek public opinion on the proposal before taking any decision.
People should be taken into confidence. The KPCC committee is likely to complete the process of compilation of a report in this regard in a month’s time, sources said.
On the other hand, an official committee constituted by the State government headed by former chief secretary B S Patil held an informal meeting with Ramalinga Reddy.
Palike polls on time
Earlier, speaking to reporters after interacting with the party workers at the KPCC office, Ramalinga Reddy said the elections to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will not be delayed or postponed.
He said that both the party and the government committees will be handing over their reports by December this year. “Once the reports are submitted, the State Cabinet will take a decision swiftly and the elections will be conducted accordingly within the scheduled time,” he added.