Assembly re-adopts bill to split Bengaluru civic body

Bengaluru, July 21: The Karnataka assembly on Tuesday re-adopted the amendment bill to split the Bengaluru civic corporation into two or three entities even as the opposition parties protested the move.

The ruling Congress reintroduced the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2015, in the lower house, a day after it was rejected in the legislative council by two votes, as the opposition enjoys a majority in the 75-member house.

"We will urge the governor (Vajubhai Vala) not to give assent to the amendment bill as the council's select committee and majority of the citizens are against splitting the civic body," BJP lawmaker and former home minister Ashok told reporters outside the assembly.

Accusing the state government of trying to put off the August 22 elections to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) by attempting to split it, former chief minister Jagadish Shettar said the government's move would affect the brand image of the city, known the world over as India's tech hub.

"The Congress is going against the sentiments of the 10 million citizens of Bengaluru by deliberately splitting their civic body into three or more corporations despite opposition by the council's select panel," Shettar said.

The assembly, however, passed the amendment bill by voice vote at a special session on April 20 and sent to the council for ratification.

The century-old BBMP was expanded in 2007 by including seven city municipal councils and one town municipal council and 111 surrounding villages to increase civic wards to 198 from 100 earlier.

IANS