<div align="justify">A large number of citizens on Friday turned up at the Town Hall protesting against the ‘non-democratic’ way of forming ward committees in the various wards of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike.<br /><br />The protesters wanted to hold the demonstration at the Palike head office, but shifted the venue as they were denied permission. Later, they turned up in large numbers at the Town Hall.<br /><br />Holding placards and raising slogans, the protesters demanded that the ward committees be dissolved as they were ‘non democratic’. Their allegations were that none of the 500 people who work at the grassroots level and had applied for membership in the ward committees was chosen. There was nepotism galore in the selection process where the relatives, family members and friends of the corporators have found place in the ward committees, they said.<br /><br />The protesters demanded that the BBMP publish in public domain the selection or rejection criteria adopted for each ward committee. Later, they submitted a memorandum to Mayor G Padmavathi.<br /><br />Joint secretary of Lanchamukta Karnataka Nirmana Vedike Narendra Kumar said the mayor instructed additional commissioner Vijay Shankar to call for a meeting and discuss their demands. Padmavathi also assured them that people-friendly ward committees will be formed.</div>
<div align="justify">A large number of citizens on Friday turned up at the Town Hall protesting against the ‘non-democratic’ way of forming ward committees in the various wards of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike.<br /><br />The protesters wanted to hold the demonstration at the Palike head office, but shifted the venue as they were denied permission. Later, they turned up in large numbers at the Town Hall.<br /><br />Holding placards and raising slogans, the protesters demanded that the ward committees be dissolved as they were ‘non democratic’. Their allegations were that none of the 500 people who work at the grassroots level and had applied for membership in the ward committees was chosen. There was nepotism galore in the selection process where the relatives, family members and friends of the corporators have found place in the ward committees, they said.<br /><br />The protesters demanded that the BBMP publish in public domain the selection or rejection criteria adopted for each ward committee. Later, they submitted a memorandum to Mayor G Padmavathi.<br /><br />Joint secretary of Lanchamukta Karnataka Nirmana Vedike Narendra Kumar said the mayor instructed additional commissioner Vijay Shankar to call for a meeting and discuss their demands. Padmavathi also assured them that people-friendly ward committees will be formed.</div>
