Karnataka mulls increasing number of BBMP wards, ahead of polls
Bengaluru: With the city civic body polls around the corner, the Karnataka cabinet on Thursday discussed increasing the number of wards under Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) from 198 to 225.
It also discussed seeking permission from the High Court, about postponing the polls, in case the ward delimitation has to happen.
"We have discussed increasing the number of wards under BBMP, we will have a separate meeting for it. According to thinking it has to be 225 wards from 198 wards now," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said.
Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting here, he said a joint select committee of the legislature is looking into the BBMP bill that government had placed before the assembly, and so the matter will be raised at the committee meeting and accordingly a decision taken.
"But, the government's thinking is the number of wards should be increased, for about 40,000-42,000 population there should be a ward," he said.
"If the ward delimitation has to happen we will have to seek permission from the court to postpone the elections for some time, as the term (of current BBMP council) ends later this month, we will have approach court before that."
To a question, whether areas under BBMP will be increased while increasing the number of wards, the minister said, more areas will get added and more parts of Bengaluru will be considered. The number of zones will increase from the current 8 to 15.
"All these things will be discussed at the joint select committee meeting scheduled for tomorrow," he added.
The BJP government at the last moment during the assembly session in March had introduced The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Bill that promises a 5-year mayoral term, area sabhas, among other reforms.
It was subsequently referred to the Joint Select Committee headed by BJP MLA S Raghu.
Pointing out that question hour has been cancelled for the upcoming Parliament session, Madhuswamy said, what has to be done in the state assembly, it will be discussed at the business advisory committee meeting.
Amid opposition's criticism to the government's plans to introduce about 30 bills during the coming assembly session, he said there are about 18-20 ordinance replacement bills for this session and there is a plan to introduce another 8-10 bills.
This will be discussed at the business advisory committee meeting on the first day of the session and bills will be introduced after taking everyone into confidence, he said.
Monsoon session of the legislature will be held from September 21 to 30.
Decisions taken by the cabinet today include implementing the Rejuvenating of Watersheds for Agriculture Resilience through Innovative Development (REWARD) scheme with the help of the World Bank.
It will be taken up at a cost of Rs 600 crore during a six year period between 2020-21 to 2026-27 covering about 10 lakh hectares in 20 districts.
Of this, the state government's share is Rs 180 crore and world bank assistance will be Rs 420 crore, the minister said, adding that areas that have low groundwater level are being considered.
Administrative approval has been given for construction of new medical colleges at Havri and Yadgir with the help of the centre. It has been decided to open LKG and UKG classes at 276 public schools run by the government. Also, a decision has been taken to adopt digital learning for students at government first-grade colleges, polytechnic and engineering from 2020-21 academic year, and it will be part of their curriculum. For this Rs 35 crore has been approved.
The cabinet has further decided to improve tourist amenities at Jog falls in Shivamogga district like ropeway, amphitheatre and children's park, and has approved Rs Rs 120 crore to Karnataka Power Corporation Limited for this purpose.
It has also decided to cancel the contract earlier given to BRS ventures at Rs 450 crore in 2016 to develop Jog falls area, as no work has happened.
The other decisions include extending the tenure of the Agriculture Price Commission for 2020-23, administrative approval for construction of a fishing port at Maravanthe in Udupi at an estimated Rs 85 crore, approval for a bill to replace the recent ordinance amending the APMC act which will be tabled during the coming session of the state legislature.
The cabinet has also given approval to several other bills to replace the existing ordinances like the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Ordinance, 2020, and they are likely to be placed in the session for approval.
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Nothing wrong if Kharge wants to come back to Karnataka politics: G Parameshwara
Bengaluru(PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said there is nothing wrong if party national President Mallikarjun Kharge wants to return to state politics.
He was responding to a question from reporters on Kharge's remarks, recalling how he lost the Chief Minister's post to S M Krishna after the 1999 Karnataka Assembly polls. Kharge's remarks added to the speculations of leadership change in Congress and about his return to state politics.
Senior Congress leader Parameshwara also said that wrongly interpreting Kharge is also not correct.
Kharge's statement seems to have rekindled the debate on 'Dalit CM' within the party. The AICC President, who hails from Karnataka, belongs to a Scheduled Caste.
Making a Dalit the CM is a hotly debated matter within the Congress party, the issue on which senior leaders and Ministers Parameshwara and H C Mahadevappa have openly spoken in the past. Both belong to Scheduled Castes.
These comments have come amid speculations within the state's political circles, especially within the ruling Congress, for some time now about the Chief Minister change later this year, citing a rumoured power-sharing agreement involving incumbent Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar.
"Kharge is a senior leader not only in our party, but in national politics, making comments on him is not right. Kharge is competent to hold all kinds of positions; he has experience, and he has been in politics for about 50 years. If he says something, interpreting it wrongly is not correct," Parameshwara told reporters in response to a question.
Asked about some speaking about his return to state politics, he said, "There is nothing wrong in it. He is holding the decisive position in our party. He is the one who decides as to who should be the Chief Minister, being the AICC President. So, in case he wants to come back to state politics, no one should interpret it wrong."
Speaking at an event in Vijayapura on Sunday, Kharge had recalled about him missing the Chief Ministerial post, when Congress came to power in 1999.
"As CLP (Congress Legislature Party) leader I tried to bring the party to power (ahead of 1999 polls), the party formed the government and S M Krishna became the Chief Minister. He had come (as KPCC President) four months ahead (of polls)....all my service was washed down the river. I feel that -- I toiled for five years, but the person who came four months ago was made the CM," the Congress chief had said.
"What I'm trying to say is, we may face difficulties, but we must continue to work without greed in mind. If you are greedy, you won't get anything, also you won't be able to do what's in your mind. Passing through all these things, from being a block president, I have now become AICC President. I did not go behind positions," he further said.
Mahadevappa too, reacting to Kharge's statement on Monday had said, Kharge is one of the senior leaders in the country and he has all the required qualities to occupy any constitutional post, and our wish is that he should get an opportunity, whenever there is one.
Naming Dalit leaders in Congress who have occupied the CM post in other states like -- Damodaram Sanjivayya, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Jagannath Pahadia and Ram Sundar Das, he said, "When time comes the party will take a decision and everyone will abide by it."
However, trying to downplay speculations, Kharge's son and IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday said his father was merely sharing the path he had walked in his political career -- both ups and downs -- and that his speech should be seen in entirety not selectively. He has also made it clear that he has no regrets.
"From the blessings of everyone, the people of Kalaburagi and Karnataka, he is in the post that was once occupied by Subhas Chandra Bose and Gandhiji. Whatever he has decided on his political future, he will decide himself. He has earned that respect and reputation. He has a good relationship with the high command. Whatever he decides, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will automatically accept it," he said.
