While civic activists are batting for the Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC) to be given its due, it has met only twice since its inception in 2014, once to elect former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as its chairman and the last , in December 2016, to discuss the Revised Master Plan 2031.
Although a Metropolitan Planning Committee is mandated by the 74th Constitutional amendment, it was only in 2014 after High Court interference that the state government notified the Bangalore Metropolitan Planning Committee Rules, making the body the nodal authority for all development work and planning in city limits.
Under the rules the MPC must be headed by the chief minister and have members elected from the BBMP and Zilla Panchayats. Together they must come out with a development plan for a period of five years and also plan annually. But no progress has been made on this front, while successive governments set up expert committees to advise them on what’s best for the city, note activists.
Many concerned about the city's welfare would also like to see the government implement the Dr Kasturirangan committee report , which batted for a directly elected city Mayor for a period of five years vested with executive powers, and creation of a Mayoral committee consisting of not more than eight members excluding the Mayor.
The committee also suggested that civic agencies like BBMP, BWSSB, Beacom, and city police should be brought under one umbrella for better coordination of city affairs. Says Mr Srinivas Alavalli, coordinator of Citizens for Bengaluru, "It really boils down to lack of political will. If the report’s recommendations are implemented the city will have a strong Mayor , which could spell the end of domination by political leaders in its affairs."
