BELAGAVI: On Tuesday, the state Assembly approved 12 bills, including the Greater Bengaluru Governance (Second Amendment) Bill. This bill allows all MPs and MLAs who reside in Bengaluru and are on the city’s electoral roll to become members of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, responsible for Bengaluru’s development, stated, “Public representatives who are voters in Bengaluru were previously excluded. Now, we will include Rajya Sabha member Sudha Murty, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and certain areas from Chikkaballapura Lok Sabha constituency, represented by Dr K Sudhakar, in the GBA.” He added that the amendment also appoints the Chief Secretary, the Principal Secretary of Urban Development, and the Secretary of the Finance Department as GBA members.
BJP’s S Suresh Kumar raised concerns about whether public representatives in the GBA would have voting rights in multiple places if they are also voters in other corporations. Shivakumar clarified that there will be no electoral process within the GBA, stating, “It’s a body to frame policies.”
In addition, the Karnataka Rent (Amendment) Bill aims to promote “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance” by decriminalizing minor offenses and streamlining monetary penalties under the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023. The amendment specifies that landlords or tenants who do not register lease agreements as required may face fines of up to Rs 2,000 or simple imprisonment for a month, or both, with similar penalties applying to intermediaries.
Other bills passed include the Karnataka Land Revenue (Second Amendment) Bill, the Greater Bengaluru Governance (Second Amendment) Bill, the Sri Malai Mahadeshwaraswamy Kshethra Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, and several others focused on various development authorities and welfare initiatives.
