BENGALURU: A city-based thinktank has criticised the recent amendments to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Act, saying, “The BBMP Act, 2020 showcases a poorly-designed and inadequate legislative structural framework for effective and decentralised municipal governance. It may require incorporating certain structural reforms regarding corporation authorities in BBMP.’’
The Centre for Urban Governance Studies and Policy Research (CUGSPR) has come down on the proposal to include ward committees and area sabhas as corporation authorities. P G Shenoy and CR Ravindra, directors of CUGSPR, told The New Indian Express, “Specifying the mayor, ward committees and area sabhas as corporation authorities may not be appropriate.
The mayor exercises the collective power of the BBMP Council and does not comprise an authority in his individual capacity, and he/she cannot be specified as a corporation authority. As ward committees are composed of non-councillors and the responsibility of governance is only with the councillors, specifying them as corporation authority may not be required. Assigning any statutory powers to area sabhas and classifying them as corporation authority may be imprudent.”
They said, “But the classification of Zonal Committees can be justified as it is construed as wards committee. A Constituency Consultative Committee headed by the MLA has not been specified as a corporation authority. Roles and responsibilities of these Committees should not facilitate an MLA to directly interfere with the day-to-day administration of BBMP as it would defeat the purpose of autonomy of local self-government.”
On the Mayor getting a term of two-and-a-half years, they said he/she could be allowed to re-contest the second time ending with the five-year term of the Council. The longer tenure may make the mayor more accountable. Removal of mayor through no-confidence motion could be facilitated which may enhance credibility of the institution of Mayor, they said.