PIL against Vision Group' in Karnataka High Court

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s ambitious ‘Vision Group’ constituted to tackle Bengaluru’s various problem on a war footing, is now before the Karnataka High Court as Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Namma Bengaluru Foundation, have filed PIL seeking quashing of the order on the formation of the Bangalore Blue Print Action Group (BBPAG).

The petition seeks to declare the formation of the group as illegal/unconstitutional, and further prays to declare Bengaluru Metropolitan Planning Committee (BMPC) as the only committee authorized for planning Bengaluru.

The court, after hearing the matter on Friday, has adjourned it by two weeks. The petition also seeks direction to the state government to undertake necessary steps to call for public participation in the BMPC by making necessary amendments to the BMPC Rules 2013, in order to facilitate larger representation.

While arguing the matter on behalf of the petioner, senior advocate Sajan Poovayya stressed that the objection to BBPAG is on account of the potential constitutional impropriety that is likely to be caused, in light of the fact that the Bengaluru Metropolitan Planning Committee, a constitutional body, has been constituted as required under law to deal with inter alia, infrastructure development.

Whereas, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, one of the petitioner has been fighting to ensure that planning must be transparent and in full view of public with an overall focus on all elements that Bengaluru and its residents face.