Abolish BBMP, let legislators rule: Former mayors express outrage

Bengaluru: The whole world is looking towards Bengaluru, which is known as the IT-BT city. However, the city is now turning to be famous for garbage, potholes and flooding due to the lack of elected councillors. For 4 years there is no one to restrain the officers. The ex-mayors expressed outrage that MLAs, ministers and parliamentarians should abolish the BBMP and let them rule.

The election process should be completed before the expiry of the BBMP elected council term. Even if the election is postponed once, there is a provision in the constitution to appoint an administrative officer for a maximum period of 6 months only. It has already been 4 years since the administrators assumed power. According to Article 243 of the Constitution, even if the elected council of BBMP is dissolved, it should be ensured that the elected council is formed within six months. But it is limited to paper only.

Currently, the Corporation is being administered as per the BBMP Act, 2020. According to Section 126 of this Act, the government is allowed to dissolve the elected council. Section 126 (7) states that if the corporation is dissolved, the council must be reconstituted within six months from that date. The elected council term of the corporation ended on 10th September 2020. However, every time the government tries to postpone the election by giving one excuse after another, it has become a problem.

There is no one to tell and no one to listen in the BBMP. The authorities are not reaching the people on the pretext of meeting. Not responding to problems. It is impossible to meet the MLA with the problem. Even MLAs cannot visit all areas. Due to this, people have been affected by potholes, garbage, malfunctioning streetlights, drinking water, drainage and other problems,’ ex-mayors revealed the truth.

The government and legislators do not like corporators to be selected for BBMP. That is why they are trying hard to prevent the election from being held. The government also gave in to this and kept postponing the elections in the name of division and ward restructure. Rajiv Gandhi had amended Article 74 of the Constitution and empowered local bodies. It is his party’s Congress government that is not implementing Rajiv Gandhi’s wish,’ he said.

In the absence of elected councillors, the ‘old stone, new bill’ strategy of the authorities is rampant. There are no people asking about the problem of drainage, streetlights, garbage, potholes. If the corporators were in power, they would have taken to the streets and worked. Now there is no one to check on the authorities. Thus, people are struggling with problems. The government should hold elections to the corporation immediately. G Padmavathy, former mayor said that the corporation should be divided after that.

‘The BJP government prefaced the election delay. Congress is also pushing that cart. The authorities are not reaching the people. It has come to a situation where the government itself warns to close the potholes. The work is being carried out again on the roads where the DLP is not completed. Officials and contractors have no fear. Repeal the 74th amendment of the constitution and let the MLAs run the corporation. They also want the same’, said BS Satyanarayana, former mayor.