Two alternatives to handle infrastructure woes

Two alternatives to handle infrastructure woes
Deccan Herald

The power of one or the synergy of two? The steady crumbling of infrastructure in the city, has brought in its wake a new question— whether to merge the seven City Municipal Corporations into the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, or to create a separate identity combining all the CMCs. The concept of the first alternative runs on the lines of a ‘Hindu undivided family’, where the strengths of some will make up for weaknesses of the rest. Merging the municipal corporations with the BMP will allow for sharing of resources, encourage uniform development and cut down on costs, says K Jothiramalingam, BMP Commissioner. Similarly, revenue generated by all the CMCs can be combined with the BMP funds. For cash-strapped CMCs, where tax collection is low because of a large number of illegal constructions, the BMP’s paternal care will come as a strength.

While theoretically, the idea holds good, it comes with a few practical problems. First, of accountability. The proposed set-up may encourage passing of the buck. The resources could be spread thin in a larger municipal corporation, adversely affecting the performance of the parent body, the BMP.

CMCs as united body

Resources may not really be a problem for the CMCs, if they tap them well, believes retired BMP Engineer-in-Chief Rame Gowda. For, it is in the outskirts where the opportunities lie, in the form of IT zones, corporate offices, residential layouts, apartments and commercial complexes. With proper taxation mechanism, fund mobilisation will be easy. If the CMCs, as a united body use the best managerial practices, it can become richer than the BMP itself.

However, the issue of demarcation, and co-dependence between peripheral and central areas of Bangalore will pose problems to this arrangement. The CMCs in Bangalore are not independent identities, but are outgrowths that take in BMP localities. These areas pose as urban mini islands with rural character, explains Prof G K Karanth, Sociologist at the Institute of Social and Economic Change.

PROS AND CONS

Suggestion: Merger of seven CMCs into the BMP

Plus points

* Uniformity in growth, development
*Uniformity in regulations, property tax
*Exchange of information, expertise
*Sharing of resources, assets
*Staffing, recruitment expenditure saved

Minus points

*Resources spread too thin
*Does not address issues of transparency, accountability
*Past record, earlier mergers of areas into BMP notsuccessful
*The combined area of 526 square kms can poseadministrative problems
*May adversely affect performance of BMP
*Monopoly
*Does not ensure quality of manpower

Suggestion: Setting up a new municipal corporation combining all seven CMCs

Plus Points

*Access to Government support
*Availability of large resources
*Resource mobilisation in smaller areas
*Smaller areas easy to administer
*Opportunity to start from scratch, using best management practices
*Element of competition

Minus points

*Dual leadership
*Demarcation of boundaries difficult
*Interdependence of peripheral areas on BMP areas
*Allow for passing the buck
*Focus on decentralisation of administrative powers, but not of decentralisation of services like health and education
*Clash of interests
*Solution not holisitc