BENGALURU: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will not just be trifurcated, but may have more wards for better administration.
This is what the Congress committee headed by KPCC general secretary B L Shankar favours.
In September, the Congress formed a 10-member committee, including several former mayors, to look into the possibility of splitting the BBMP.
“We are studying the model followed in Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. They have a separate Corporation Act. We are collecting details and expect to complete the report by next month. We will submit the same to the State government by December 15,” Shankar told Express.
He indicated that the committee is in favour of trifurcating the BBMP.
He said the old Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) region (core Bengaluru) will be considered Bengaluru Central while the zones added in 2007 will be split into two - Bengaluru South and Bengaluru North.
“Each ward should ideally have 35,000 to 40,000 voters. The existing wards are according to the 2001 population census. But the city has grown and so has the population,” he said.
“We will split existing wards according to the 2011 census. Lesser the population, better the administration,” he added.
Shankar also said they will look into including revenue-generating areas in each ward. On the mayor’s term, he said they have three options - one year, 20 months or five years.
“We are still discussing it,” he said.
Patil Panel Makes Slow Progress
The report being put together by the committee headed by former chief secretary B S Patil on the splitting of the BBMP is still under progress.
The committee, constituted two months ago, is yet to be provided space by the government and is currently working out of a private office in Richmond Town.
Patil told Express that they will hold meetings with individuals and organisations.
“To begin with, on Wednesday, we are conducting a meeting with BBMP officials at Vikasa Soudha. In the coming days, we will interact with elected representatives, NGOs and resident welfare associations,” he said.
When asked about when they would submit the report, Patil said it depends on the co-operation of others.
“As of now, we cannot say how long it will take to complete the report,” he said.