BANGALORE: Former Mayor P.R. Ramesh has questioned the sanction of funds for taking up development works under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in Bangalore at a time when the elected body of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is yet to be constituted.

Decentralisation

Mr. Ramesh, who recently submitted a memorandum to the Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy seeking directions to the State Government to conduct BBMP elections at the earliest, pointed out that JNNURM was aimed at effective decentralisation of governance with active involvement of the public and elected representatives.

"While JNNURM guidelines make it mandatory for the urban local body to decentralise powers till the lowest level in each ward, it is surprising that the funds have been sanctioned in the absence of an elected body. This is violation of the rules," Mr. Ramesh has said in the memorandum.

Mandatory

The former Mayor has also pointed out that it is mandatory as per the 74th Amendment of the Constitution to set up a Metropolitan Planning Authority and chalk out a plan in coordination with all service providers of the city. "Surprisingly, even these rules have been ignored," the memorandum stated.

He has urged the Union Government to direct the State Government to hold BBMP elections, set up a Metropolitan Planning Authority and prepare a master plan for sustainable planned urbanisation of the city before taking up any project under JNNURM.

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