Greater Bangalore: BMP gears up to administer new areas

Greater Bangalore: BMP gears up to administer new areas

The Hindu

`Priority is to improve and coordinate infrastructure development' `We are almost through with the job of preparing a blueprint for Greater Bangalore'

# Priority is to improve infrastructure development
# Revenue mobilisation will start after issue of final notification

BANGALORE: With the State Government notifying the formation of "Greater Bangalore," the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) is gearing up to administer the new areas to be added.

"We are almost through with the job of preparing a blueprint for a single Greater Bangalore Corporation as decided by the State Government. Our first priority is to improve and coordinate infrastructure development and transportation network, identify development works, shore up finances and set up new administrative patterns for the additional areas," a top BMP official involved in the process told The Hindu on Friday.

"This is a task of a different magnitude altogether. Basically, we have to set up a viable and sustainable system for the new body. Most of the areas in the BMP limits have already been developed. The priority will be towards upgrading all civic facilities in the seven city municipal corporations (CMCs), one town municipal council (TMC) and the 111 villages that will be added," the official explained.

A committee set up by BMP Commissioner K. Jairaj to prepare a blueprint for "Greater Bangalore" is looking into setting up of new administrative patterns, zones, bringing in uniformity of taxes, asset management and how to put in place proper governance.

Revenue mobilisation, which would be on top of the agenda, would start as soon as the final notification was issued. The Government had called for objections from people within 30 days from the issue of Friday's preliminary notification. Objections from citizens, if any, would be incorporated and a final notification would be issued.

Corporators upset

Members of the BMP Council, the term of which will come to an end on November 23, are upset that the notification has been issued after the council met for the last time on October 31. "We had urged the Government in September to issue the notification before we met for the last time. We wonder whether this is a conspiracy to prevent us from discussing the subject," the former Mayor P.R. Ramesh said.

However, a top official in the Urban Development Department said there was still scope for the council to discuss the issue. "Maybe a special meeting can be convened to discuss it," the official said.