The controversial Greater Bengaluru Authority Bill, which seeks to split the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike into seven smaller corporations, was passed in the Assembly on Monday, March 10, amid a walkout by the Opposition BJP and JD(S).
Bengaluru development Minister DK Shivakumar tabled the bill in the Assembly amid accusations that the move would concentrate power with the Chief Minister and dilute local representation.
The Greater Bengaluru Authority Bill would divide Bengaluru into a maximum of seven city corporations and create a Greater Bengaluru Authority with the CM as ex-officio chairperson and Bengaluru development minister as ex-officio vice-chairperson.
Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka criticised the bill, saying it was against the spirit of the 74th amendment to the Constitution as it would concentrate decision-making in the CM, the Bengaluru minister and other MLAs.
He also said that one of the reasons for the takeover of 110 villages to form the BBMP in 2006 was to increase the number of Kannada speaking people. The number of Kannada speakers in the city would drop if the BBMP was split and might open up the possibility of Bengaluru becoming a Union Territory, he speculated.
Splitting up the BBMP would also lead to uneven distribution of resources, with some areas such as Mahadevapura, KR Puram and Hebbal generating higher revenues due to the presence of IT professionals living there, Ashoka said.
“Over the years, the number of legislators has increased. Does this mean that the Assembly should have more Speakers?” Ashoka said. He said that the mayors of some of these corporations might not be Kannadigas.
However, Shivakumar defended the bill, claiming it would lead to greater decentralisation. “Effective urban governance is impossible without decentralisation,” he said.
MLA Rizwan Arshad, who headed the House Committee on the bill, said that the move would decentralise power and create more jobs in the city.