From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Apr 20: Despite the stiff opposition from the BJP and JD(S) opposition parties and walk-out, the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Monday passed the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2015, for splitting the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) into two or more corporations, for ensuring smooth administration.

The Karnataka Legislative Council, however, was adjourned till Wednesday, April 22.

Meanwhile, in a parallel development, a Division Bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice D H Waghela and Justice Ram Mohan Reddy has passed an interim order restraining the State Election Commission (SEC) against announcing the schedule for holding elections to the BBMP, which has been superceded by the State Government.

It may be recalled that the BBMP was created during the BJP-JD(S) coalition regime headed by H D Kumaraswamy in 2007.

Incidentally, Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala left for his home State of Gujarat and is expected on or after April 27.

Karnataka’s Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra tabled the Bill amidst strong opposition from the BJP and JD(S) during the special one-day legislature session on Monday.

“The population of Bengaluru has gone beyond 80 lakhs and therefore it is difficult to supervise the civic body to implement the state or central schemes,’’ Jayachandra said.

He said the expert committee appointed by the State Government under the Chairmanship of former Chief Secretary B S Patil had in its interim report recommended trifurcation of the civic body for the smooth administration of BBMP.

The Bill envisages constitution of an advisory committee of consisting of not less than 15 and not more than 25 persons to assist the Administrator.

As the Assembly met on Monday, BJP members stood on their feet and demanded that the issue of crop damage due to unseasonal rains and hail storms be taken up first.

BJP Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar said Ministers and officials were not visiting affected areas and surveys were not being conducted properly.

Relief work was tardy and farmers were on the verge of committing suicide in some villages, the former chief minister said.

Ruling Congress member S Patil Nadahalli demanded discussion of plight of Kannadigas settled in Goa.

BJP and JD(S) members objected to the introduction of the Bill citing that the subject was sub-judice and demanded ruling from Speaker Kagodu Thimappa.

The Speaker, however, contended that the "legislature is supreme and the matter is not sub-judice."

Key Features of the Bill:

 BBMP ceases to exist with immediate effect.
 The word Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike will be replaced by Corporation of the City of Bangalore.
 BBMP will be reconstituted into two or more corporations.
 The Government will constitute an advisory committee of consisting of not less than 15 and not more than 25 persons to assist the Administrator
 All assets and liabilities of the Corporation vested with Government till the corporations was reconstituted.
 Administrator will discharge his functions in accordance with the Government’s directions
 No extra expenditure involved in the legislative measure.