Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Tuesday tabled the Greater Bengaluru Administration Bill, 2024 (Second Amendment) in the Legislative Assembly, triggering an extensive debate on representation, voting rights, and the structure of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).
Explaining the rationale behind the amendment, Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar said the changes were necessitated after it was noticed that certain elected representatives residing within municipal limits were excluded from the GBA member list. He pointed out that parts of constituencies represented by Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty and Chikkaballapur MP K. Sudhakar now fall under the municipal jurisdiction.
Shivakumar said the amendment aims to include local body representatives, Legislative Council members, and other elected representatives as GBA members. He also announced the inclusion of the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Development, and the Finance Department Secretary in the GBA committee, noting that since the Chief Minister heads the GBA, senior administrative coordination was essential.
Addressing concerns raised by BJP MLA Suresh Kumar over the inclusion of nominated members, Shivakumar clarified that the GBA is a state-level authority and not an elected body. “There will be no elections to the GBA. When new areas are merged into the municipal limits, elections will be conducted within six months. Until then, a temporary representation mechanism was proposed,” he said.
However, responding to the Opposition’s objections, Shivakumar announced a significant concession. “If the Opposition feels nominated membership is unnecessary, I am ready to withdraw it. As suggested, we will drop the provision for nominated members,” he told the House.
Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok raised concerns over multiple voting rights exercised by Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council members across different local bodies, calling it akin to duplicate voting. He demanded that elected representatives be allowed voting rights in only one jurisdiction for a fixed five-year term.
Agreeing in principle, Shivakumar said, “I accept this suggestion. Every representative should vote in only one place. But it must be noted that the GBA itself is not an elected body.”
Meanwhile, Basavaraj Rayareddy, CM’s Economic Advisor and MLA, cautioned that the Representation of the People Act may not permit such restrictions based on address changes alone. Responding sharply, Shivakumar remarked that voting rights “cannot be treated like a touring privilege.”
The debate highlighted the evolving governance framework for Bengaluru as the state attempts to streamline administration under the Greater Bengaluru Authority.
ಇದನ್ನೂ ಓದಿ: ಜಿಬಿಎ ಆಡಳಿತ ವಿಧೇಯಕಕ್ಕೆ ತಿದ್ದುಪಡಿ: ನಾಮನಿರ್ದೇಶಿತ ಸದಸ್ಯತ್ವ ಕೈಬಿಡಲು ಸಿದ್ಧನಿದ್ದೇನೆ – ಡಿಕೆ ಶಿವಕುಮಾರ್
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