BENGALURU: The much-debated Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill has been put on hold by the State government, and been referred to a Joint Select Committee.
The bill proposes Bengaluru to have up to 10 municipal corporations. The plan is to restructure the BBMP and transform it into a three-tier setup, with the Chief Minister at the top. Municipal corporations and ward committees will form the other two layers, which will be accountable for improving administration.
While BJP members in the assembly were in the well, staging a protest and demanding that they be allowed to speak on the MUDA scam under adjournment motion, Deputy CM and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar placed the bill. He said they proposed to give a new image to Bengaluru that has a population of over 1.4 crore.
“There is a need to improve administration. Bengaluru is watched internationally. We need to strengthen the city financially too,’’ he said, adding that there is a need to bring the bill.
However, BJP members objected, with Leader of Opposition R Ashoka demanding that a Joint Select Committee be set up to study the bill and submit a report, so it can be decided on later.
Yeshwantpur MLA ST Somashekar said the bill needs to be widely debated and discussed. “The Joint Select Committee should have MLAs from Bengaluru,’’ he said.
Answering them, Shivakumar said that outside the House, many MLAs from Bengaluru including Suresh Kumar, Satish Reddy and CK Ramamurthy had met him to discuss the issue. “This needs to be discussed widely. We are not in hurry to pass it. We will refer it to a Joint Select Committee,’’ he said, putting the bill on hold.