Corporate-neta nexus trying to stall Greater Bangalore

Corporate-neta nexus trying to stall Greater Bangalore
Vijay Times

BBaanng gaal loor re e: : Even as Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy prepares to take a decision on the report submitted by an expert committee on the Greater Bangalore plan, a powerful lobby of some industrialists and politicians with a vested interest is working overtime to thwart the plan.

The Greater Bangalore plan proposes to merge seven City Municipal Councils and one Town Municipal Council with Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, while another proposal under consideration is to retain the present BMP as it is and form a separate City Corporation by merging the CMCs and TMC.

Most of the industries including the prestigious ITBT corridor of Bangalore come under the limits of CMCs like Mahadevapura, K R Puram and Bommanahalli. Most of these industrialists, who are used to the low rates of property tax and weak administrative machinery in these CMCs, are not happy at the Greater Bangalore proposal as their tax burden will mount steeply if they come under BMP jurisdiction.

Some of the local political leaders taking advantage of weak administrative machinery in these CMCs have encroached on or illegally own huge tracts of land. These forces too have joined hands with the corporate lobby to foil the Greater Bangalore plan.

Speaking to VViijja ay yTTiim mees s,, asenior minister said, “the pressure group includes a liquor baron who has his unit and huge tracts of land on Kanakapura road. The CMCs suited their purpose perfectly and they do not want that to end. They prefer formation of a separate corporation which will take a long time for implementation.” Industries in some of the areas coming under these CMCs have even stopped paying property tax, questioning their credibility, after the Lok Ayukta unearthed a Rs 245 crore scam.

Most of the councillors of these CMCs are also opposed to Greater Bangalore plan as it will result in erosion of their political base.

The residents in these areas have wholeheartedly welcomed the proposal. But as MLA and former minister Jayaprakash Hegde put it, there should not be a hike in property tax at least till infrastructure and civic amenities in these areas are brought on par with areas already under BMP jurisdiction.

Kumaraswamy has convened a meeting on Wednesday to decide on the future institutional structure for Bangalore.