Bengaluru, July 21 (IANS) The Karnataka government has reiterated its commitment to establishing five municipal corporations in Bengaluru under the newly formed Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who also serves as the Bengaluru Development Minister and Bengaluru Urban District In-Charge, addressed the concerns raised in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) questioning the legality of forming five corporations under the GBA.

“Anyone has the right to raise objections; there is nothing wrong with that. It is their democratic right and cannot be curtailed. If there are any errors in our process, we will rectify them. But the government remains committed to creating five municipal corporations in Bengaluru,” Shivakumar said.

He further stated, “I had convened meetings with BJP leaders, sought their suggestions, and even formed a joint legislature committee for deliberations. Even now, objections can be raised. However, some are raising concerns for political reasons. We are proceeding with the plan in the interest of Bengaluru.”

Shivakumar added that he would soon hold a press conference to brief the media and the public on matters related to “A Khata, B Khata, the e-Khata campaign, taxation, and the proposed municipal corporations”.

Responding to a question about the proposal to divide Bengaluru into five municipal corporations, former Chief Minister and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai said that such a division should not diminish the city’s significance. “If there is a city more renowned than the four major metropolitan cities in the country, it is Bengaluru. The city holds global importance as well. We must ensure that the division does not lead to disparities in development. Creating separate corporations purely for political purposes is not right,” he stated.

He further pointed out that 110 villages were previously merged into the BBMP, but those areas remain underdeveloped. “If all these areas are placed under a single corporation again, they will not see development,” he added.

Meanwhile, a PIL has been filed before the Karnataka High Court by Citizens’ Action Forum (CAF), a collective of residents and civil society leaders. The petition seeks a stay on several sections of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024, and calls for these provisions to be declared unconstitutional, arbitrary, and unreasonable.

The PIL also challenges the very establishment of the GBA — its composition, authority, and functions — which include urban planning, infrastructure development, and the coordination of local bodies such as the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

Petitioners argue that the GBA’s powers, as defined under the Act, infringe upon the 74th Constitutional Amendment, which grants local self-governance powers to municipal bodies.

Under the new Act, the GBA is authorised to issue directives, acquire land, manage funds, and delegate powers to municipal corporations. These corporations are responsible for public markets, tax collection, and forming ward committees for decentralised governance. Specifically, the petition challenges the constitutional validity of sections 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 85, 95, 96, 100(2)(iv), 101, 103(4), 129(2), 130, 137(2), 145, and 249 of the Act, which was officially notified by the state government on April 24.

–IANS

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