Govt should focus on BCC’s poor cousins

Today’s Mahadevapura was one of the water bodies this lake city was proud of.

TIMES CITY CAMPAIGN: FUND CITY MUNICIPAL COUNCILS
Govt should focus on BCC’s poor cousins
Times of India

Bangalore: Travel just 8-10 km away from the BCC limits and you enter the City Municipal Council (CMC) area. Roads are unasphalted, bumpy and strewn with huge stones all along the stretch. Garbage is dumped on the roadside and one wonders which is this godforsaken place.

At a 10 km radius from the IT capital, are the seven CMCs — Dasarahalli, Bommanahalli, K.R. Puram, Mahadevapura, Yelahanka, Rajarajeshwarinagar, Byatarayanapura and Kengeri TMC — which are the most happening places today. IT majors, tech-park, well-known housing complexes and industries are all there. But the infrastructure is appalling; the reason why IT captains have threatened on and off to take business outside Karnataka.

The CMCs form a radius of some 150 sq km; and a poor cousin to the BCC in terms of revenue and government funding. Though at an arm’s distance from the BCC, the CMCs are not in the “good books” of the government. Lack of funds coupled with governmental indifference have impoverished the CMCs. It is shocking that CMCs still have soak pits, a concept already redundant in some of our villages. For the uninitiated, soak pits are where toilet wastes collect because of lack of underground drainage. These messy pits are cleaned every five or 10 years and the entire neighbourhood is drowned in the stink.

The government’s ambitious project of supplying Cauvery water and laying UGD lines are yet to fructify. The Rs 120-crore project, which the government expects from user contribution fees, is a nonstarter as the residents are not forthcoming to pay Rs 10,000. “Let the government start the project, then we will pay. Who knows, where our money will go,” say residents.

The CMCs are looking desperately at the government for funds. Till two years ago, the government used to give stamp duty to the CMCs every year, a paltry sum of Rs 15 crore to Rs 20 crore. But since the Lok Ayukta raid, even this grant has been stopped. Now the CMCs are left to fend for themselves; resources are raised through property tax, licence fee, khata issuance
and advertisement tax.

CMC collects taxes, citizens pay for services

A resident welfare association of Mahadevpura CMC has spent Rs 20,000 to give this muddy stretch some semblance to a road. Mahadevpura residents pay Rs 20 every month to the push-cart garbage collector to ensure that the is garbage is lifted. Fed up with horrible condition of roads, the residents of Basavanagar, Vijnananagar and surrounding areas take to the streets. They are even prepared to raise money and lay the road, a job which KR Puram CMC has failed to deliver.

The Kaggadasapura main road is dotted with sky-scrapers —residential apartments that have come up unauthorisedly just on the roadside. With the CMCs failing in its very basic duties, one wonders what they are for. The simple answer is: to collect the property tax. And nobody knows for what the funds are being utilised.

“Our roads have not been asphalted. To make it motorable, we spent Rs 20,000 from the association. If the residents have to do everything, what is the CMC’s business?’’ questioned O.S. Dasan, Secretary of SRR colony residents association in Mahadevpura.

Says Mahadevpura CMC commissioner Chikka Venkatappa: “The government has decided not to asphalt the roads till the BWSSB lays water supply and UGD lines. Only if the government gives us some grants, we can plan some concrete projects for the development of CMC.”

Here skycrapers come up violating rules. Majority of the apartment blocks have not been sanctioned either by CMC nor BDA. As per the government order, any construction beyond three floors should be okayed by the BDA. “Since the BDA is the sanctioning authority which also collects tax from these buildings, it is its job to check the illegal constructions,’’ says Venkatappa passing the buck.

So what if there are no roads or water supply. The CMC will soon get an auditorium at an estimated cost of Rs 1 crore. The scene at KR Puram CMC is no better. The area, represented by Varthur MLA A. Krishnappa is just a village. According to L. Jayaram, president of K.R. Puram CMC, this year, an action plan has been mooted for overall development of the CMC at a cost of Rs 3.5 crore. Jayaram, who is also of the opinion that the government should be more considerate towards the CMCs in terms of funding, says property tax is the only source of revenue.

Admitted technical head and AEE of KR Puram CM, Mohan Lal: “We have not taken up any development works for the last two years, after Lok Ayukta raid. But here and there, we have asphalted roads when VIPs pass through the area. All road works will be taken up after the BWSSB completes laying of water and UGD lines.” But the brighter side of both the CMCs: their office buildings which are presentable.

ABOUT CMC

Amalgamation of areas in the periphery of the city corporation forms the CMC. Like the BCC, even CMCs have wards ranging from 25 to 40.

While president is the political head of CMC just like the mayor, the commissioner who is generally of KAS cadre is the executive head. The council, comprising corporators and the president, meets once in a month or two. But unlike the BCC, the CMCs are not given good grants from the government. They thrive on the revenue generated from property tax, khata issuance and licence fee. Till Lok Ayukta raid which happened two years ago, the CMCs were given compensation for stamp duty which has been stopped now.

The powers of the CMCs are also very limited. They can sanction building plans up to three floors after which the buildings are referred to BDA; licence fees and health fees for shops and hotels can be issued; khatas can be issued.

VITAL STATISTICS


Mahadevapura CMC is spread over 44 sq km; has a population of 1.6 lakh. Has 31 wards; land prices are between Rs 650 per sqft and Rs 900 per sqft. CMC budget is Rs 10 crore; property tax raised last year was Rs 6 crore. Major landmarks are ITPL, DRDO phase II and several IT firms. Requires at least Rs 300 crore for comprehensive development of the CMC. K.R. Puram CMC is spread over 44 sqkm; has a population of 1.87 lakh. Has 35 wards; budget is Rs 23 crore and property tax raised last year was Rs 6 crore.



WE THE PEOPLE

CELEBRITIES

Abhijit Saha, chef at The Park

People talk about good and bad roads. But what do you talk about where there are no roads, like in K.R. Puram? There must have been a road there a long time ago, but that is history now. The drains are all open and garbage is littered everywhere. In the name of roads and public amenities, there is nothing to talk about.

Yusuf Arakkal, artist

The condition of roads is pathetic. They are broken in stages and even if someone digs them up for laying cables, no one bothers to fill up the gaping holes. Worse, we don’t know whom to contact to register a complaint. All we get is a set of telephone numbers when we try to call the CMC office. No one is answerable there.

AAM JANATA
Swarnalatha, resident of Mahadevpura CMC.

Residents have to pay for better, which is actually the job of the CMC. Even the access road from the CMC to the Ring Road is in bad shape. Despite bringing the area problems to the notice of the officials, nothing is being done.