Joint select committee recommends increasing BBMP wards to 250

Team Udayavani, Sep 22, 2020, 7:31 PM IST

Bengaluru: The Joint Select Committee of the Karnataka legislature constituted to scrutinise the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Bill has recommended increasing the number of wards in the city to 250. Currently the BBMP, the city civic body, has 198 wards under it.

The 21-member committee, consisting of both MLAs and MLCs, headed by BJP MLA S Raghu, tabled its “Special Report” in the assembly today.

The committee in its report has recommended amending Section 7 (1) (a) of Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act 1976.

Currently the section states that “the Corporation shall consist of- such number of elected councillors not being less than thirty and not more than two hundred as the Government may, by notification, determine.”

The committee has recommended an amendment to change the maximum limit from 200 to 250.

Stating that the committee will need time to examine various aspects mentioned in the BBMP bill, it says “Meanwhile as the term of the elected members of BBMP has ended and elections should be held.

But, considering the current circumstances, increased population in Bengaluru city and the geographical spread, the committee has recommended to the government to amend the act.” The term of the joint panel that is examining the BBMP bill has been recently extended till November, to submit its final report.

The BBMP Bill was tabled in the assembly by the government during the previous session in March.

It was subsequently referred to the joint panel following objections raised by several members, including those from the ruling BJP.

The Bill seeks to extend the tenure of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor for five years.

It also proposes that the city will be divided into zones – up to 15 of them – and each will have a committee chaired by a zonal commissioner, among others.

The term of BBMP corporators ended September 10 and elections are yet to be notified.

The government has appointed a senior IAS officer Gaurav Gupta as administrator until the new council for the civic body is elected.