BANGALORE: Governor T.N. Chaturvedi has returned the ordinance on amending the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (KMC) Act seeking an increase in the number of wards from 100 to 150 in the city.

This is likely to delay the delimitation exercise for the State Government's proposal to form the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) by merging the seven City Municipal Councils, one Town Municipal Council and 111 villages.

Sources in the Governor's Office told The Hindu on Tuesday that the Governor had sent back the ordinance on the grounds that it should be discussed thoroughly during the next session of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, likely to be held in December-end or January. This ordinance, which was tabled during the Belgaum session, had reportedly not been taken up for discussion then.

As the KMC Act does not provide for constitution of more than 100 wards, the Government had formulated an ordinance to get the Act amended to enable it to increase in the number of wards.

This measure is essential for the formation of BBMP and is one of the foremost tasks that the Government needed to accomplish before issuing the final BBMP notification.

Sources said the Governor wanted the Government to draft a Bill on the amendment and table it in the House. The ordinance was sent back with a note that it is "too premature to decide upon the number of seats available for corporators during the next civic body elections," the sources pointed out.

A top official in the Urban Development Department, who confirmed that the ordinance had been returned from the Governor's office, said that it was only on "technical grounds."

The official said the ordinance was basically on getting the KMC Act amended for increasing the number of wards from 100 to 150 and not for the overall BBMP proposal.

The State Government, which issued a draft notification on BBMP on November 2, had announced that people could send suggestions and objections to the proposal to the Deputy Commissioner (Urban) within 30 days.

The final notification would be issued after incorporating the suggestions and objections made by people, the official added.

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