City needs Metro Planning Council

City needs Metro Planning Council
Sunday June 29 2008 11:12 IST

ENS

BANGALORE: Member of Rajya Sabha K Kasturirangan and former Chief Secretary A Ravindra advocated the need for constituting a Metropolitan Planning Council for Bangalore metropolitan region that comprises Bangalore city, Bangalore Rural district, Ramanagaram district and Chikballapur district.

The council will have 63 members comprising 42 elected representatives and 21 nominated members, which would include nine experts from various fields. Under Bangalore Metropolitan Administration Act, a Mayor for a five-year term would be elected. The Act should also have provisions to appoint experts from private sector for the post of BBMP Commissioner with a tenure of three years.

The present system has provisions to appoint only IAS officers as a Commissioner. BMRDA should be made the sole authority for planning restricting BDA only for development works, Kasturirangan andRavindra said.