After much criticism, Metropolitan Planning Committee to meet tomorrow

Bengaluru: After criticism that the constitutional body, Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC), responsible for planning and growth of the city, had not met, the state government has convened a meeting of the Committee on June 1.

After the state government formed the Bengaluru Blueprint Action Group (BBAG), criticism was heard that MPC was ignored by forming an extra-constitutional body.

CIVIC Executive Trustee Kathyayini Chamaraj said, “It is good that the MPC is meeting on June 1st for the first time, 22 years after the 74th Constitutional Amendment was passed. But they should not be bulldozed to merely endorse the blueprint already prepared by the so-called Bangalore Vision Group. It is time the ward committee and area sabha rules are gazetted, so that the bottom-up process of planning envisioned by the 74th Constitutional Amendment is actualised. The MPC has to collate these ward level plans and create the vision for Bengaluru and not accept the top-down plan of the vision group which is a violation of the amendment.”

MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “After ignoring it for several months, the government has woken up to its role and I welcome that. But convening an MPC with one day’s notice is mocking the importance of the body, its role and its members, who include Members of Parliament. A meeting of MPC should be treated with the respect and meaning it deserves.” Mr Chandrasekhar has been among those who have pressured the government to create the MPC.