Split shouldn't dent global image of Brand Bengaluru: BJP

The BJP on Monday tried to draw a parallel between the Tughlaq darbar and the decisions of the successive governments regarding the status of the Bengaluru civic body, which is changing from time to time.

Participating in a discussion on the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill 2015, BJP leader R Ashoka said the Palike had become ‘bruhat’ (greater) when the previous government favoured it. Now, the present government wanted it to be trifurcated.

There is bound to be a change in the structure of the Palike once a new government comes to power in the State. It may opt for unification of the civic body again, he said.
Arguing vehemently against dividing the Palike, Ashoka, MLA from Padmanabhanagar, said Bengaluru had its own brand image globally and that should not get dented with the splitting of the City.

He said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah being a seasoned politician might not have decided to go for trifurcation. He must have been misguided by certain people to take the decision. “Today, the late Bangarappa is remembered for the Ashraya scheme, Kengal Hanumanthaiah for constructing the Vidhana Soudha, S M Krishna for building the Vikasa Soudha. But you (Siddaramaiah) should not earn discredit for dividing the City,” he said.

Ashoka said if there was strong political will, then it would be possible to provide good administration through an efficient commissioner. The government is going against the High Court order and trying to get the elections to the BBMP postponed. If large-scale scams have taken place in the Palike, then let there be an inquiry into them. But at any cost, the City should not be divided for administrative purposes. If that is the case, even public utilities such as the BWSSB and KPTCL will have to divided, he pointed out.

The former minister said the Kishan Singh Tomar report had categorically said elections could be put off only when there was a natural calamity or bomb threat. “There is no such situation now. Then why postpone the polls?” he asked.

Ashoka said the argument of the government that the City’s growth was unwieldy and therefore not possible for a commissioner or a mayor to manage it was not acceptable.

“Siddaramaiah is managing Karnataka, which has 6.5 crore population. The prime minister is managing the entire country. Is it not possible for a mayor to manage just one crore population? Will the State be divided into four on the grounds that it should be better managed,” he asked.

Leader of the Opposition, Jagadish Shettar, sought to know why the Siddaramaiah government did not take any action to stop irregularities in the BBMP and punish the erring officials. “Why nothing was done by the Congress to take any action in the last two years to clear the so-called mess in the BBMP. Why is it now in a hurry to set things right?” he asked.

The issue of holding elections to the BBMP is before the Karnataka High Court. The government intends to postpone the elections to the BBMP by amending the Karnataka Municipal Act. The matter is now sub judice. The government did not allow a discussion on the illegal deletion of BDA land in Arkavathy Layout stating that the issue was sub judice, he said.

Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa should not allow discussion on the bill, too, he added.
The Speaker, however, said the Assembly had the supreme power to legislate and nobody could take away its rights.