The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : BMP ward committees yet to start functioning

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 25, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

BMP ward committees yet to start functioning

By Afshan Yasmeen

BANGALORE, JUNE 24. To decentralise power at the local level, the Government and the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) set up 30 ward committees in the city in June last year. But they are yet to start functioning.

According to the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Ward Committee) Rules 1997, every ward committee is supposed to meet every month. Though top Mahanagara Palike officials say that the committees have been meeting regularly except during elections, sources in the committees told The Hindu on Wednesday that they have not met even once after the committees were formed. "They have been set up only for name sake," the sources added.

Each revenue range in the Mahanagara Palike (covering three or four wards) has one panel and assistant revenue officers are the convenors.

The rules authorise the members to keep a check on all ward works, monitor their implementation and suggest modifications, if necessary.

The members can also supervise timely collection of property tax and proper utilisation of budget grants. The committee also has powers to give administrative approval to works up to Rs. 1 lakh in its range.

"But the Mahanagara Palike has not set aside funds in its budget for the committees. Besides, the Government has not checked if the panels are functioning. According to the rules, the committees have to meet on a fixed day every month. This has not happened. Various reasons are cited," the sources said.

While the committees were set up in June 2003 after a delay of over one and half years, the Government Order was gazetted only in September 2003. The Mahanagara Palike further delayed the process of implementing the notification. It was placed in the Mahanagara Palike Council in November 2003 and the chairpersons were elected in December 2003.

Several non-government organisations, including CIVIC Bangalore, have been demanding that the ward committee members should be fully trained and the committee meetings should be open to all citizens.

The organisations wanted the Government to set up one committee per ward and the members elected, not nominated. "But the then Congress Government nominated its party workers as members and all the chairpersons are from the Congress," Vinay Baindur from CIVIC Bangalore said.

"We want these committees to be legitimate institutions for people-centred ward planning, participatory budgeting, monitoring of works and social auditing. They should play an important role in improving the quality of life of the ordinary people," he said.

When contacted, the Mayor, P.R. Ramesh, who heads the Basavanagudi ward committee, said the meetings could not be held "because of lack of quorum." Admitting that the panels were yet to start functioning, he said he would soon write to all the committees to meet regularly.

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