Cong to whip up Sakrama wave to rule BBMP

Cong to whip up Sakrama wave to rule BBMP
Friday December 21 2007 08:17 IST

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BANGALORE: The ghost of Sakrama is set to return to haunt the people of Bangalore and other cities in the state.

But it has elated the Congress, which was searching for a strong issue to rule the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike(BBMP).

Polls for the 143-ward BBMP are likely to be held in June or July after completing the ongoing ward delimitation. The state Assembly has to pass the delimitation Bill before polls could be conducted.

With a budget of over Rs 1,000 crore which is likely to double with the addition of 43 new wards from CMC areas to the earlier 100 wards of BMP, the power and resources at the disposal of BBMP will become enviable by any standards.

For the party which ruled BBMP with 57 members before the JD(S)-BJP Government formed it, fears of the anti-incumbency bug has now made way for bullish confidence.

Speaking to this website's newspaper, K Chandrashekar, former mayor of Bangalore and Congress member of recently dissolved State Assembly, said the party would intensify its agitation against the JD(S) and BJP, holding them responsible for imposing hefty fines on the poor and middle class urban residents for regularising deviations in constructions and unauthorised plots.

“Our party is sure to reduce the regularisation fee. We want it to be brought down to Rs 50 sq mt for plots up to a dimension of 30X40 ft and Rs 100 sq mt for larger plots in Bangalore.

The Congress is likely to bring in an amendment to the Town and Country Planning Act if it is voted to power in the coming elections. We will continue our fight against the hefty fines till then putting pressure on any party that will come to power,’’ he said.

Congress workers staged a dharna in Bangalore on Thursday, accusing the JD(S) and BJP of colluding with the builders and real estate lobby to fleece the people.