Karnataka government may split BBMP into 2 or 3 parts

Bengaluru: The state government is seriously thinking of splitting the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike into either two – BBMP North and BBMP South, or create three new corporations along the lines of three Lok Sabha constituencies.

The process of bifurcation or trifurcation of the BBMP has been temporarily put on hold since the Select Committee of the State Legislative Council is ceased of the matter. The committee, as per rules, has to submit its report within three months mandatorily.

Congress party sources told Deccan Chronicle that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is consulting urban experts, going through a report submitted by a three-member expert panel and also a report by a member of the Legislative Council on division of the BBMP.

The chief minister, if he decides to bifurcate the BBMP he will name them BBMP North and BBMP (South). This will not burden the government financially, as two commissioners, two mayors and deputy mayors, can work from the existing buildings. While the BBMP (South) can function from the existing palike head office, while North can function out of Utility Building. Each corporation will have 99 wards each, sources said.

In case of trifurcation, the government is likely to divide BBMP on the lines of three Lok Sabha constituencies – Bengaluru North, South and Central. But the problem lies with three areas - Yeshwanthpur, Mahadevapura and Raja Rajeshwari Nagar. For instance, Yeshwanthpur starts near Nelamangala and stretches up to Bidadi. Even Mahadevapura and Raja Rajeshwari Nagar are spread over Bengaluru North and South.

However, it can be addressed by dividing according to the convenience of citizens without affecting the existing wards, they said. On disparity in revenue collection, the sources said that the government is toying with the idea of pooling all resources and then distributing it among the corporations. “Opposition parties are under the wrong impression that whichever corporation earns more will get to spend more. A committee headed by the chief secretary or any other senior IAS officer will be constituted to work out a system under which the revenue generated from all the new corporations goes to a common pool,” they said.

“Once the BBMP division bill gets the nod, the government has to equally split Bengaluru-centric service providers, like the Bengaluru Development Authority, Bescom and BWSSB. These service providers are acting independently without answerable even to the government. But from now, they should work as per the directions of their respective corporations,” they said.