Bengaluru: Over 96 corporators are staring at disqualification for not declaring their assets and liabilities. The corporators, as per Section 19 of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976, have to file their assets and liabilities with the Mayor.
But according to BBMP sources, till date, only 102 have filed their assets, while the rest have not bothered to do it. The present set of corporators assumed office on September 13, 2015. All the 198 of them were expected to submit their assets within 30 days of taking office and also file it every year before October 12.
BJP city president and former leader of opposition N.R. Ramesh said, “Elected representatives should hand over their declaration to the Mayor, who in turn gives it to the BBMP Commissioner and later it is submitted it to the Regional Commissioner."
He said, “If any activist obtains information from the BBMP on non-declaration of assets by corporators and approaches court, all those who have failed in their mandatory duty could be immediately disqualified by the Regional Commissioner."
Mayor Sampath Raj told Deccan Chronicle, “Till October 12, 60 corporators had filed their assets and liabilities. As I was fully occupied with rain-related damage and pothole filling, I do not know how many have declared it after October 12. More would have filed their assets and liabilities by this time. Some of the applicants were sent back to bring all the documents needed.”
No corporator can afford to get disqualified for this reason, he said.
Asked whether all those who have failed to declare their assets would be disqualified, Mr Raj said, “I will take a legal opinion from experts and initiate suitable action.”
