The Karnataka High Court on Monday ordered issue of notice to the State government on a petition seeking direction to the Regional Commissioner, Bengaluru to initiate action for disqualifying 16 councillors of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for failure to declare their assets and liabilities, and 18 other councillors for not submitting a declaration within the period stipulated in law.
Justice G. Narendar passed the order on a petition filed by Anil Kumar Shetty K., a resident of J.P. Nagar.
The petitioner claimed that 16 councillors have failed to declare assets for the year 2017-18 and, hence, the competent authority will have make a declaration that these councillors cease to be members of the BBMP as per Section 19(1) of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (KMC) Act, which mandates every councillor to declare assets and liabilities every year before the Mayor within one month of beginning of their term as councillor and in the same month every subsequent year.
Citing information obtained under the RTI Act, the petitioner claimed that 16 councillors had not declared their assets and liabilities and, hence, they cease to be members of the BBMP Council as per the KMC Act, and the remaining 18 councillors have either submitted the declaration after the due date or by manipulating the date of submission.
The petitioner contended that he submitted two representations to the Regional Commissioner in February and March this year seeking action against the councillors, but the Commissioner neither responded to the representations nor initiated any action.
