Unabashed, arbitrary decision-making, with scant regard for due process and flagrant violations of the Constitution and rule of law. The very framing of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act (GBGA) and constitution of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) are under legal challenge for overturning the 74th Constitutional Amendment (74th CAA) and emasculating the third tier of local government.
The entire erstwhile BBMP area has been without a constitutionally mandated elected third tier of government for a full six years. While claiming that the five corporations formed by splitting BBMP are fully empowered to function in a decentralised manner as per the 74th CAA, administrators are ruling the roost there by delaying elections by giving one excuse after another.
Usurping the powers of the Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC) mandated in the 74th CAA, a plan to build Rs 1.5 lakh crore worth of tunnel roads and elevated corridors incentivising private vehicles has been taken. The GBA has gone to the extent of amending the Karnataka Parks (Preservation) Act to alienate protected, heritage parklands, such as that of Lalbagh.
This plan has been approved in the absence of the MPC and without constituting the BMLTA, the body meant to approve any mobility plans for Bengaluru.
The perverse decision has been taken to amend the BMLT Act itself, while budgets for health and education for the entire state are less than Rs 50,000 crore.
In the name of creating ‘Safe Footpaths’ for pedestrians, street vendors have been evicted mercilessly in blatant violation of, and with scant regard for, the law, rules and scheme protecting their livelihoods.
In addition, several amendments to policies or laws, such as the shrinking of buffer zones of lakes; relaxing of zonal regulations, floor-area ratios and building bye-laws; regularising building plan violations; and reducing penalties on violations etc, are throwing the rule of law to the winds, paving the way for the devastation of Bengaluru and destruction of its liveability.