Karnataka governor HR Bhardwaj gave assent to the Ward Committees Bill, which will ensure public participation in chalking out the urban future.
Amid strong reservations expressed by civil society groups over the alleged anti-democratic and citizen un-friendly provisions contained in the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill 2011, governor HR Bhardwaj has accorded his approval for the landmark legislation that proposes to enhance community participation in urban governance.
Sources in the state government told DNA that the governor had, a few days ago, approved the bill in the present format and a related gazette notification would be issued soon.
It may be recalled that the state legislature had on January 13, 2011 approved the bill that proposed to amend the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act 1976 and facilitate the constitution of area sabhas and ward committees.
“Once notified, the amendment would institutionalise community participation in municipal functions,” said a source in the urban development department.
The KMC Act applies to eight corporations: Bangalore, Mangalore, Mysore, Belgaum, Hubli-Dharwad, Bellary, Davangere and Gulbarga.
The bill was a long-pending demand of Bangaloreans and civic groups as the formation of such ward committees, they argued, would empower citizens of respective wards and accommodate their opinions in the development of their locality.
According to the bill, the ward committee, in which resident welfare associations have representation, should meet at least once a month and discuss the development issues pertaining to the ward.
However, members of a few civic groups in the city had met urban development minister S Suresh Kumar recently and demanded that some changes be brought to the bill.
They had resented the power given to the corporators to veto the ward committee decisions.
They also wanted the area sabha representative to be elected by the area sabha and not nominated by the corporation on the recommendation of the councillor.
The other changes the activists wanted in the bill included more decision-making powers to be given to the area sabhas and a quorum for the area sabha meetings etc.
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