BENGALURU: The Legislative Assembly passed the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, 2024, on Monday amid opposition by BJP and JDS legislators, who staged a walkout alleging that the Bill to split BBMP into around seven civic corporations will lead to the destruction of the IT capital.
The House also passed the Karnataka Pawn Brokers’ (Amendment) Bill, Karnataka Prohibition of Charging Exorbitant Interest (Amendment) Bill and the Karnataka moneylenders (Amendment) Bill.
After participating in the debate on the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, 2024, BJP legislators clarified that they will support efforts to strengthen BBMP, but oppose its division, which they said, will result in Bengaluru losing its essence as being one city. They proposed to have commissioners for different zones of BBMP for better governance.
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said the Bill is against the 74th Amendment of the Constitution and power will be concentrated with the CM, who is proposed to be chairperson of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), and not with the elected councils.
Bill threatens integrity of Bengaluru: BJP
LoP R Ashoka warned that a situation may arise where non-Kannadigas would become mayors of the corporations. “What if a corporation passes a resolution urging the Centre to grant Union Territory status for the areas under it?,” he said. BJP MLAs SR Vishwanath and Dr CN Ashwathnaraya said the Bill threatens the integrity of Bengaluru.
They advised DCM and Bengaluru development minister DK Shivakumar not to earn the dubious distinction of splitting the city. Shivakumar asserted that the Bill is aimed at decentralisation of power. “We are not dividing Bengaluru, but helping it emerge greater and stronger. When districts could be split, why not BBMP? Bengaluru has grown beyond its boundaries fixed by Nadaprabhu Kempegowda.
It is not easy to overcome Bengaluru’s problems such as traffic congestion, solid waste management and shortage of drinking water. Even the MLAs from Bengaluru have realised it,” he said. In the Greater Bengaluru Authority, elected representatives including MLAs and MPs, will have voting power, while those nominated by the government will not have it.
It is the duty of the CM, as GBA chairperson, to conduct meetings to address issues faced by the people of Bengaluru, he said. Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad, who headed the House committee on the Bill, said the move will help decentralise power and create more jobs in the city.