Wanted: 1,500 people for Greater Bangalore

Wanted: 1,500 people for Greater Bangalore
BMP Head Honchos Have Been Working Hard To Plan The Staffing Patterns Of The Jumbo Exercise
The Times of India

Bangalore: Wanted: Over 1,500 eager men and women to carve out Greater Bangalore.
These requirements are for IAS, IRS and KAS officers, engineers, revenue officials, health officers, ward officials and workers to be part of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) or Greater Bangalore.
If this sounds like a ‘Wanted’ advertisement in newspapers, it comes a close second. For head honchos across the urban development department, the BMP along with bureaucrats at various levels have been working hard to plan the staffing patterns of the greater exercise.
Explains BMP special commissioner Gaurav Gupta, who has been working on the blueprint of BBMP: “In Greater Bangalore, we are looking at eight zones and approximately 140 wards. Which means, there is also going to be a lot of decentralisation. We don’t want someone from Whitefield running to N R Square for khata or property tax issues. The staffing patterns will increase considerably because we need to have much more enforcement to nip all these unauthorised and illegal constructions and hoardings.’’
A typical ward has a health officer, an assistant executive engineer, a revenue officer, all of whom have to be newly recruited both at existing wards and new ones.
With Greater Bangalore, two thirds of properties would fall outside the tax net, which means beefing up of by-laws and stringently regulating constructions on the outskirts are on the anvil.
The method of recruiting, however, is something the government is yet to work out. Will it be an overhaul of departments or putting people on deputation?
Says BMP commissioner K Jairaj, “We have had preliminary discussions at the government level. The basic idea is to replicate the existing staff pattern of wards in the new areas. We will need five new deputy commissioners and the government will decide if the officers will be IAS or from the KAS.’’
Greater Bangalore will also see a beefing up of the head office itself, especially the legal section. The greater exercise comes with a rider. No administrative powers for the wards. This assumes significance in the context of a single administrator incharge of all of 741 sq km.
No corporators from November 24 and no sight of them too till around June 2007 as municipal elections have been relegated to the backburner.
Any takers for a Greater address on the visiting card then?
GREAT JOB AHEAD
The staffing patterns will increase considerably because the BMP needs to have much more enforcement to nip all these unauthorised and illegal constructions and hoardings in all areas
With Greater Bangalore, two thirds of properties would fall outside the tax net, which means beefing up of by-laws and stringently regulating constructions on the outskirts are on the anvil
The method of recruiting is something the government is yet to work out