1. Reforms in civic governance a mirage for Bengaluru
The Karnataka government has set a two-month deadline for ward delimitation in Bengaluru, and senior Ministers are mulling over holding civic polls in December this year. However, given the lack of clarity over restructuring the city’s governance structure — dividing the civic body into multiple corporations being one of several proposals — it is now feared that governance reforms may be pushed to the background, this time because of civic polls.
The BBMP Restructuring Committee, now reconstituted, submitted its report in 2015, but its recommendations were not implemented as the court mandated immediate civic polls. In June this year, the Karnataka High Court had set a 12-week deadline for ward delimitation. The term of the previous council ended in September 2020. A new council is yet to be elected.
