Bengaluru, 23 July

Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Tuesday passed Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill which aims at establishing a maximum of 10 City corporations to decentralise municipal administration.

The bill moots the founding of Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) in which Chief Minister will be ex-officio chairperson, the minister in charge of Bengaluru will be Vice-Chairperson and Chief Commissioner of GBA will be ex-officio member secretary. Ministers holding home, urban development, transport and energy portfolios and ministers from Bengaluru will be the ex-officio members. Apart from them, the Mayors of the city corporations, two members from each city corporation nominated by city corporation members will be a part of GBA as members.

All members of the Legislative Assembly whose constituencies lie in Greater Bengaluru Area shall be permanent invitees to GBA.

BJP opposed the bill and walked out of the Assembly saying it will divide Bengaluru and its identity will be lost. “Dividing Bengaluru, which was built by Kempegowda, will lead to its curse. We should preserve Bengaluru’s beauty,” Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said.

The bill was passed in the absence of the Opposition. Later, when Opposition came back to the Assembly, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who is in charge of Bengaluru Development, said there will be a meeting on 27 July with the legislators from Bengaluru and the ministers to clear doubts on this. —Salar News