Panel favours police powers to ULBs

A Legislative Assembly committee on Friday recommended to the State government to give certain powers of the police to urban local bodies (ULBs), including city corporations, for effective delivery of services.

The 16-member Petitions Committee headed by Deputy Speaker N H Shivashankara Reddy said the ULB officials should have powers to arrest, file FIR and charge sheet against those who violate municipal rules. Section 491 of the Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, has a provision to give police powers to ULBs, but the government has not initiated steps to give the powers, the committee stated in its report tabled in the Assembly.

The committee has prepared the report following a petition by senior Congress MLA Panduranga Patil seeking police powers to ULBs on the lines of certain countries in Europe. ULBs have failed to perform up to the expectations of the people. These powers may help them effectively implement the municipal rules, he argued.

The committee has asked the government to amend the Karnataka Municipalities Act so that police powers can be given to all urban local bodies, including city municipal councils and town municipal councils. Besides, the committee recommended that the government should take measures to make ULBs financially independent by allowing them to impose some taxes.

People have to be educated on keeping their neighbourhood clean. Students have to be educated at the school level. All schools should emulate Ramakrishna Vidyashala, a residential school in Mysuru, on cleanliness and hygiene. A separate panel has to be constituted to implement it across the State, the committee suggested.