Umbrella body to coordinate civic agencies?

Umbrella body to coordinate civic agencies now
Times of India

Bangalore: What’s the reason behind many city projects toppling midway? If you feel it’s the lack of proper coordination among civic agencies, relax. The government has decided to plug that loophole by setting up a centralised agency for coordinating all civic bodies in city.

It has come at a time when civic works in Bangalore are facing trouble from more than one quarter. Like road digging: roads are butchered to lay cables soon after they are asphalted by BCC. The proposed Bangalore Metropolitan Authority will act as a single window agency for clearing projects.

BMA was mooted by former chief minister D. Devaraj Urs, who wanted to bring all civic bodies under one umbrella. Though successive governments did not give a thought to the concept, the one headed by N. Dharam Singh is working towards making it a reality.

Inaugurating the Dairy Circle flyover on Wednesday, the chief minister spoke about a “special authority’’ to coordinate civic agencies. He also said that a legislation will be brought in for the same.

Government sources told The Times of India that a senior bureaucrat will head the organisation. BCC, BDA, BWSSB, police, Bescom, BSNL, Lake Development Authority, BMRDA, BMRTL, BMTC, CMCs and BATF will come under the umbrella organisation. The chiefs of these civic bodies will be the members of BMA along with the secretary of the urban development department.

“The city needs a centralised agency. BATF is only an advisory body which does not have legal or administrative sanctity. The proposed BMA will not only be an administrative agency but also a single window agency to issue NOC and clear projects,’’ sources said. For instance: If the BCC moots a road project, along with the corporation commissioner, the heads of BWSSB, Bescom, BSNL will be called in for a meeting to discuss their future action plan. Then they will design a protocol for implementation.

Similarly, when a new layout is planned, the agencies involved with water supply, laying drainage, giving power connections and creating the road infrastructure will present their proposals to back up the project.
“To legalise the body, a legislation will be tabled. It will outline the powers and functioning of BMA,’’ sources said.

HOW DOES A PROJECT MOVE

When the BCC moots a flyover :

Has to be approved by the standing committee
Approval from the council
Approval from the town planning department
Approval by the Cabinet
Shifting of water and telephone lines by BWSSB and BSNL
Traffic diversion by the police department.

IN A NUTSHELL

What is BMA?
A body headed by a senior bureaucrat. He will have under him the BCC, BDA, BWSSB, police, Bescom, BSNL, Lake Development Authority, BMRDA, BMRTL, BMTC, CMCs, BATF and the urban development department.

How does it work?
Any project mooted by the civic bodies will first come to the BMA. Apart from the implementing authority, the agencies associated with the project will be called in for a meeting to weigh the pros and cons of the project. No agency could take a decision on its own about a project without placing it before the BMA.

What are the benefits?
What are the benefits? It’s a single window agency. BMA will give the preliminary approval for the project and send it across to the urban development department for administrative and financial sanctions. Depending on the project cost, the file will be send to cabinet for its approval.