Bengaluru, Apr 21 (DHNS): Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday tried to turn the tables on the aggressive BJP on reconstituting Bengaluru municipal area by dissolving the BBMP, saying that the previous BJP governments, too, had supported the move.

“When Jagadish Shettar was the chief minister, he had stated that trifurcation of Bengaluru is necessary in order to provide better services to people. The then urban development minister S Suresh Kumar had advocated the need for smaller corporations saying that administration of 198 wards of the BBMP by a commissioner was difficult,” the chief minister stated by quoting newspaper clippings.

Siddaramaiah, who was replying to Opposition attack on introducing an amendment bill to reconstitute the Bengaluru municipal area, sought to know from the principal Opposition BJP why it has changed its stand. Several of the ruling party members taunted the Opposition by describing it as ‘U-turn BJP.’ Shettar and Suresh Kumar, however, did not make much effort to defend themselves.

“Do not try to find fault with us. Cooperate with us in this initiative. It is in the interest of Bengaluru. The BBMP was in a bad state. There was large-scale misappropriation of funds, property tax collection was not done efficiently and civic services were not provided to people properly,” he said.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra said Bengaluru had acquired disrepute as garbage city because of mismanagement by the BBMP. Image of brand Bengaluru was dented because of this problem. The BBMP was too big and unwieldy to govern. The government therefore took it seriously. “It is an opportunity to set things right before elections are held. The government intends to ensure effective participation of citizens in local government,” he added.

He tried to allay fears that the move to constitute two or more corporations by doing away with the BBMP would affect brand Bengaluru, saying that Bengaluru city will remain as it is. New corporations will be constituted purely for the administrative reasons, he added.