Like it or not, BBMP polls should be held in May: Minister Ramalinga Reddy
Bengaluru, Feb 22 (PTI): Karnataka Transport and Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Saturday said that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections must be held this May, "whether we like it or not."
The city has not had an elected municipal council since September 2020.
"This September, it will be five years without BBMP elections," said Reddy, the senior-most MLA in Bengaluru, who represents BTM Layout, when asked about the delay in holding the elections.
Noting that during S M Krishna's tenure as Chief Minister, elections were held on time in 2001, and again under the previous Siddaramaiah government in 2015, he said, "When the BJP was in power in 2008, elections were delayed by 2.8 years. Similarly, the BJP government did not hold polls in 2020."
Defending the Congress government regarding the delay, Reddy said that the postponement is due to the government's plans to create a Greater Bengaluru Authority.
"We have to hold elections in May, whether we like it or not. Otherwise, the Supreme Court will issue directions (to conduct the polls)," he said in response to a question.
In July last year, the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill was referred to a joint select committee headed by Shivajinagar Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad.
The committee is likely to submit its report to Assembly Speaker U T Khader on Monday.
The Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill allows for the creation of up to 10 municipal corporations in Bengaluru.
Reddy also expressed his opinion that the city must have multiple corporations.
"If we want to serve the people of Bengaluru, a single corporation will definitely not be enough. One commissioner cannot oversee the entire city. We need two or three corporations to ensure proper roads, streetlights, parks, playgrounds, and stormwater drains," he said.
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Karnataka Health Dept bars leave for staff amid ASHA workers’ strike starting Aug 12
Bengaluru, Aug 11 (PTI): In response to a planned three-day strike by ASHA workers starting August 12, the Karnataka Health Department on Monday issued a notice prohibiting all officers and staff from taking leave during the protest period, except in cases of medical emergencies.
Accredited Social Health Activists workers are demanding the fixed honorarium of Rs 10,000 promised by the state government in January. They have announced a continuous state-level protest from August 12 to 14.
The notice stated, “Information about ASHA workers absent from duty within district limits will be collected daily from primary health centres, compiled at the district level, and submitted to the commissionerate by 3 pm during the protest.”
The Health Department also urged community health officers, primary health protection officers, health inspectors, and Anganwadi workers to cooperate in ensuring that health services to the public remain uninterrupted.
