The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Contracts approved amid protests in BMP meeting

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 28, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Contracts approved amid protests in BMP meeting

Staff Reporter

Opposition says Mayor's action is illegal

BANGALORE: Amid protests and uproar by the Opposition members, the ruling Congress in the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) Council on Monday extended the term of the existing private garbage contracts by another year.

The term of the contracts ended on June 1 and the BMP had orally asked the private contractors to continue till further orders.

At the BMP Council meeting here, the Mayor, R. Narayanaswamy, approved more than 50 other subjects pertaining to land leasing, renaming of roads, tendering of new projects and continuing some existing contracts without allowing any discussion on them.

There was pandemonium in the council when the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members created a furore over the cut in ward grants from Rs. 1 crore to Rs. 62 lakhs.

The BJP floor leader, B.M. Mangala, who raised the issue, demanded a clarification from the Mayor. "You had promised Rs. 1 crore grants for ward works. You also publicised it during your ward visits. Now if you suddenly reduce the grants, people will question us. Tell us why the grants have been cut," she asked.

When the Mayor ignored her demand, the BJP members trooped into the well of the house and staged a dharna. At this juncture, a few Congress members alleged that activists of the Janata Dal (Secular) had damaged the name plaque installed by the former MLA, R.V. Devaraj, at the entrance of the Legislators' Home.

The Janata Dal (S) members, who denied this allegation, demanded that the remarks be expunged. Led by their leader, B.R. Nanjundappa, the members also staged a dharna in the well of the house. When the members refused to leave even after repeated pleas, a visibly confused Mayor asked the ruling party leader, B.T. Sreenivas Murthy, to read out the subjects, approved them and abruptly adjourned the meeting to Tuesday.

Apart from extending the term of the existing garbage contracts, the Mayor (with the consent of the ruling party) approved the construction of a commercial complex in Gandhi Bazaar on a joint-venture basis and awarded contracts for remodelling the Vrishabhavathi Valley to the National Projects Construction Company (NPCC) and for the second package of upgrading pavements to the Karnataka Land Army Corporation (KLAC).

Later, Mr. Nanjundappa and Ms. Mangala said it was unfortunate that the Mayor did not allow any discussion on such important subjects.

"We do not know which subjects have been approved. The Mayor has violated the rules as the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (KMC) Act does not permit him to approve subjects when the council is not in order. All the decisions are illegal. We demand that all the subjects be placed again for approval after a detailed discussion," Ms. Mangala said.

Mr. Nanjundappa said he would write to the Commissioner asking him to nullify the approved subjects. "The Mayor has made it a practice to approve subjects without allowing discussion on them. We will not allow him to continue like this. We will continue our dharna tomorrow," he added.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka