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The upcoming BMR bill - draft
Written By silkboard - 29 March, 2010
Bangalore governance Kasturi Rangan urban development Abide Reforms Decentralisation Citizen Reports
Continuing from the mention of two clear asks post BBMP elections, here is a regional governance reform proposal being prepared by Abide. The close to final draft of Bangalore Metropolitan Regional governance act is attached. Here are some mention worthy points. Detailed review will be very much appreciated by those who may be looking for them. Talk sense and less-rhetoric as much as possible please.
- It incorporates recommendations from Kasturirangan Committee report as well as Abide task force's regional governance act, 2009
- Talks of amendments to several existing acs including Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, BMRDA act, BDA act etc.
- Talks of a broader Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC), 2/3rd members elected from amongst the elected members of the municipal corporation and municipalities, 1/3rd nominated by state government.
- MPC to be responsible for creating development plan with due regards to plans prepared by local authorities in the Bangalore Metro Region.
- MPC would have a smaller, 7 people strong Metro Planning Board (MPB. MPB would be the executive head of MPC.
- MPB is supposed to create multiple separate committees with focus on areas of Planning, Transportation, Environment, Sanitation, Arts/Heritage etc. Total 6 such Sectoral committees.
- There would be a Bangalore Metropolitan Traffic and Transportation Authority, seems to be a replacement from our toothless BMLTA.
Need to read more. If someone could picture a clear picture of how MPC sits as the umbrella planning body on top of local autorities, that will help make the draft document easy to read for many.
COMMENTS
Public Agenda - 31 March, 2010 - 16:08
evaga bekagilla
murali772 - 7 April, 2010 - 08:11
@ Public Agenda - Evaaga ildre, mathu yaavaaga?
A comment like yours, without listing valid reasonings, even as some of the regular naysayers have more or less corroborated it, is perhaps an indication that praja.in as the debating platform of the upper house is an idea whose time has come.
idontspam - 7 April, 2010 - 08:20
Why managment of $$$ is left out? How is that going to work? Same way as it is now? When wards get responsibilities they should also get $$$. Maybe in proportion to revenue generated. Else only headaches are getting shared no rewards.
silkboard - 30 March, 2010 - 08:13
Yet to read and understand this in detail. Sounds very confusing if you don't read carefully. The councillors and corporators stay, but there would be Metropolitan Council (MPC) on top that would bind multiple local areas from planning perspective. How will the MPC work with local authorities in the BMR region to write development plans?
BTW, some very basic questions
- How many local governemnts do we have in the BAngalore Metro Area. BBMP, and?
- What will make MPC's master plan recommendations binding to the local governments it is built on top of?
- Will BMRDA, BDA continue to exist along with MPC?
- What will make BMTTA (the rehashed BMLTA in the proposal) recommendations binding to BMTC, BMRC, BARL etc?
Need to read carefully. Don;t think I am in a position for a critical review yet.
murali772 - 24 March, 2012 - 14:49
The affairs of a cash-strapped BBMP took a nasty turn on Thursday. Mayor R Sharadamma threatened to resign after home and city in-charge minister R Ashoka downsized the mayor and deputy mayor funds. - - - Sources said the mayor was miffed because she had made commitments to her aides that works would be taken up under her fund to benefit them.
"The minister (Ashoka) was upset that a chunk of the mayor and deputy mayor funds is being misused. The funds have been set up to meet the city's needs. The minister took objection to usage of the funds for works in the wards of the mayor and her deputy at the cost of the rest of the city," sources told TOI. - - - - Ashoka asked Sharadamma as to what inspections she had conducted before asking the commissioner to take up works under the mayor's fund.
The mayor remained incommunicado for four hours after Ashoka gave her a dressing down. - - - - Asked about Ashoka's downsizing of the fund, she said: " I do not want to speak ill of anyone. I have become mayor because of them. I will not resign".
For the full report in the ToI, click here.
Now, while the minister's pursuit towards seeking accountability from the Mayor is indeed laudable, what about his own accountability to the public as the Home and Transport minister? His is one name that appears to figure in each and every scam that we have been reading about almost on a daily basis ever since this ministry took charge, the TTMC scam being just one of them. Anyone a bit more knowledgeable than a Sharadamma (check this), I am sure, would certainly have hit back on even terms.
And, that brings us to the question of the standing of the Mayor, as well the Municipal council itself, vis-a-vis the city. The government seems happy to retain things as they are, in total violation of the spirit of the 74th amendment, so that the positions like the Mayor can be doled out to their sycophants as and when it suits them, and thereafter keep them under their thumbs. The biggest irony of it all is that then you go on to refer to them as 'worshipful'.
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