Fruitful BMP meet sees approval for key projects

Fruitful BMP meet sees approval for key projects
Deccan Herald

Sans any discussion, nearly 50 subject matters including a joint venture commercial complex project and extension of the contract period of private garbage collectors, were approved by the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike council on Monday.

The opposition JD(S) and BJP’s uproar over cut in ward grants and the reported change of the name plate of a legislator’s bhavan ensured that the proceedings be so.

The business of the day was over before the opposition set aside their main concerns and yelled that the subject matters shall not be approved when the house was not in order. They pleaded Commissioner Jothiramalingam to explain the said provisions of the law, but the mayor would not relent.

Earlier, when the house got down to business, the BJP demanded clarification on the cut in ward grants. When Rs 1 crore was allotted as ward grants in the budget, the corporators have been recently asked to submit programme of works for Rs 62 lakh, BJP leader in the council B M Mangala noted.

Meanwhile ruling Congress corporators - M Nagaraj and Keshavamurthy provoked the JD(S), chiding it over the reported change of a foundation stone plaque at the Legislator’s Bhavan in Chamarajpet following the JD(S) candidate’s victory in the by-elections. The plaque bearing the name of the previous legislator (a Congress man) has been removed, they alleged. The JD(S) members denied the charge and also took objection to it.

The mayor’s repeated appeal to the members to stick to the listed subjects for the day and save other concerns for the monthly meeting scheduled for Tuesday, did not succeed. The opposition took to the well of the house, shouting slogans against the mayor, while the latter simply proceeded with the listed business.

In effect, the house’s sitting on Monday lasted for just about an hour. Speaking to the media later, the ruling Congress leader B T Srinivasamurthy noted that it was already many months since the subjects had been prepared; delaying their approvals would inconvenience the public.



HIGHLIGHTS


*Contract period of private garbage collectors extended for a year

*Construction of a 5 storeyed commercial complex at Gandhibazar as a 50:50 joint venture between BMP and M/s C S Holdings Pvt Ltd.

*Property tax adalats to woo those who are fighting legal battles against the BMP and try for out of court settlements

*Rs 31.61 crore package III work on remodelling of Vrishabhavathi valley storm water drains tendered to M/s NPCC (National Projects Construction Company)

*Rs 930 lakh worth of additional upgradation work on pavements given to Karnataka Land Army Corporation.