Karnataka DCM to hold meeting for improving inter-agency coordination

If the Opposition members cooperate, we can discuss various coordination issues such as traffic congestion, drinking water, waste disposal, street lights, tax collection, etc in the meeting, DCM said

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said he would hold a meeting with all the MLAs and MPs of Bengaluru on July 27 to discuss improving coordination among various agencies in the city for better governance.

Shivakumar, who is also the Minister in-charge for Bengaluru Development was replying to Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka and BJP MLAs S Suresh Kumar and K C Ramamurthy, during the Question Hour in the Legislative Assembly.

"I agree with the concerns raised by the members of the House. There is a lack of coordination among various agencies in Bengaluru. We have done a lot of work to improve the inter-agency coordination over the last one year, but we have had only partial success.

"If the Opposition members cooperate, we can discuss various coordination issues such as traffic congestion, drinking water, waste disposal, street lights, tax collection, etc in the meeting," Shivakumar said.

"We can either hold a detailed discussion in the House or we can hold an elaborate meeting after the session is over," he said.

Speaker U T Khader suggested a meeting outside the House.

The session will be over on July 26 and the meeting can be organised on the next day -- on July 27, Shivakumar said.

Rajajinagar MLA Suresh Kumar suggested that for "Brand Bengaluru" coordination between agencies like Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA), Bangalore Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (BESCOM), Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board ( BWSSB ), among others is a key.

"None of these agencies talk to each other, they talk at each other. If an umbrella organisation is not brought in for coordination and task force at constituency level, it won't help," he added.

Questioning about the "Brand Bengaluru" project, Jayanagar MLA Ramamurthy alleged grants were being given to only certain Assembly segments in the city, and asked, "Don't other segments come under Brand Bengaluru? Not even a paisa grant has come so far, for my segment."

LoP Ashoka too concurring with Ramamurthy said, "you are giving grants to whomever you want. Please take information on money allocated to MLAs from all parties in Bengaluru for the last 15 years. If we had not given grants while BJP was in power to other party MLAs' segments don't give us too. There are 16 BJP MLAs in Bengaluru, Brand Bengaluru means all 28 segments."

He also highlighted the pothole problem in the city and the quality of work being taken up.