Despite strong opposition from the BJP and JD(S) members, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs T.B. Jayachandra made a strong pitch for the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2015, to make way for splitting the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) into two or more corporations at the special legislature session.
Mr. Jayachandra argued that the city’s population had gone beyond 80 lakh and it was difficult to supervise BBMP to implement State or Central schemes.
“For the smooth administration of BBMP, the expert committee appointed by the government had recommended in its interim report for trifurcation of the civic body,” he said.
The Bill envisages constitution of an advisory committee of consisting of not less than 15 and not more than 25 persons to assist the administrator.
As the House met, BJP members demanded that the issue of crop damage owing to unseasonal rain and hailstorms be taken up first, with Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar charging that relief work was tardy.
Ruling Congress member A.S. Patil Nadahalli demanded a discussion on the plight of Kannadigas settled in Goa.
BJP and JD(S) members objected to the introduction of the Bill saying the subject was sub judice and demanded ruling from Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa.
Mr. Thimmappa, however, said, “The legislature is supreme and the matter is not sub judice.”
JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy objected to introduction of the Bill and said several irregularities occurred during the rule of the administrator during 2008-10.
BJP’s R. Ashok said the government has moved the Bill to postpone elections to the civic body.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah defended the Bill and reminded the BJP that its leaders had advocated dividing the BBMP while in power. He said BBMP is not functioning properly and a lot of irregularities occurred during the last five years of the BJP rule.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said the Congress was ready to face elections at any time.
