Panel favours 5 year term for mayor

Bangalore's civic governance might go the Chennai-way: A mayor directly elected by the people for a period of five years!

Well, this is one of the recommendations made by the expert committee on governance in the Greater Bangalore City Corporation (GBCC). The committee, headed by space scientist K Kasturirangan, submitted its report to Governor Rameshwar Thakur last week.

According to the recommendations of the committee, a mayor directly elected by the people for a term of five years would augur well for the governance of Bangalore region as it ensures stability and accountability in political leadership.

The report envisages grant of powers similar to that of the chief minister to the mayor as he or she will be the executive head of the region. The mayor should be assisted by a mayoral committee of eight members selected from among the elected and nominated corporators, the report stated while emphasising the need to amend the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act to this effect.

At present, the term of Bangalore's mayor is one year. But there has been no mayor for over 15 months now as the term of the Bangalore City Corporation Council has ended.

With no elected body in place, all civic affairs of the Bangalore are being decided and monitored by the commissioner, a bureaucrat. However, these kinds of situations can be avoided if the recommendations of the expert committee on the mayoral election and term are implemented.

The committee has also suggested a legislation to deal with development and regulation of the Bangalore Metropolitan Region (BMR).

This includes setting up a metropolitan planning committee (MPC) to coordinate and monitor the functions of the existing municipal bodies, a move which will aid in addressing the rapid expansion of the city.

The MPC will look into 8,000 sq km area comprising the three revenue districts of Bangalore rural, Bangalore urban and Ramanagaram.