BENGALURU: Directions from Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar and senior officials of the Urban Development Department to the Electronic City Industrial Township Authority (ELCITA) to share details of property tax collection are being seen as a move to either merge ELCITA with the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) area or push the IT belt into the administrative limits of Bengaluru South District, which was earlier Ramanagara, in the coming days.
ELCITA has also been told to inform the government whether its funds are being spent on the development of panchayats around the IT hub.
The direction was reportedly issued at a review meeting chaired by the DCM on Saturday at the Bengaluru Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (BMRDA) head office on Ali Asker Road. Chief officers of six town municipalities — Anekal, Bommasandra, Hunasamaranahalli, Chikkabanavara, Chandapura and Jigani — attended the meeting and briefed the DCM about the developmental activities and revenue capabilities in their limits.
ELCITA, with an annual tax collection of Rs 29 crore, manages its own affairs -- from processing waste to maintaining roads to caring for its trees.
The meeting also discussed how building and construction plans are approved within ELCITA limits. “ELCITA has the authority to give planning and construction approvals. But now, UDD is likely to step in. We have no clue what is happening in ELCITA. How it is being run and who is running it. There is no clarity on whether the people at the top of the hierarchy are appointed by the government. To address all these issues, a review meeting was held,” said a top UDD official.
ELCITA officials like Chairman V Veerappan, Chief Administrative and Security Officer Col Aniruddha N Gudi and a few other representatives also attended the meeting.
Panchayats have little say on ELCITA functioning
The development comes after Shivakumar inspected the six town municipalities and Electronics City a few weeks ago. Prior to that, Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw had commented on the road infrastructure in Bengaluru.
The reason cited is that ELCITA, covering over 800-plus acres (3.2 sq km), is spread across three panchayats – Doddathoguru, Konappana Agrahara and Hebbagodi. “In the past, former gram panchayat president Anil Kumar had alleged that ELCITA, and not the government, had appointed a chief executive officer. He had said tax receipts are not given to the gram panchayat. Keeping all these issues in mind, the government has stepped in now,” said an official.
A chief executive officer who earlier worked at the Doddathoguru Gram Panchayat said the three panchayats have very limited or no control over ELCITA and its administration.
There are talks now of bringing ELCITA under GBA. With that, the government will take responsibility for water supply, maintenance of roads and waste management.