Residents’ associations likely to get a seat in BBMP ward panels

BENGALURU: With only “friends and relatives” of corporators becoming a part of ward committees in Bengaluru, the Urban Development Department (UDD) is planning to bring members of residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) onboard the citizen-consultation platform as special invitees.

“We received several complaints from citizens, including NGOs and RWAs, that active residents have been left out of ward committees. The department is working on a proposal to bring RWA members as special invitees in ward committees,” Mahendra Jain, additional chief secretary (Urban Development Department), told ET.

Although the law mandates nomination of two members from residents associations in the 10-member ward committee, the rule has been bypassed to suit the convenience of corporators, say residents.


Citizens also want the BBMP to ensure different areas of a ward are equally represented in the committee. “Every corporator in Bengaluru represents a huge population of over 50,000 voters, which is not so in other cities in the state. The development work will be equally distributed in the ward only if the committee has representations from different areas,” Narendra Kumar, a civic activist from Byatarayanapura, said. He said that five members of a ward committee in Prakash Nagar (Rajajinagar), represented by former mayor G Padmavathi, stay on the same road. “We have also found cases where friends and relatives of corporators are members of the ward committee, which defeats the very purpose of forming citizenconsultation groups,” he said.

“The ward committee should be inclusive,” Tara Krishnaswamy, coordinator of Citizens for Bengaluru, said. “The present composition has reservation for SC/ST community and women. Members from low-income groups should also be part of the committee,” she said.

Suresh NR, head of Namma Bengaluru Foundation, said the government should give an opportunity to residents’ welfare associations, rather than those backed by corporators, to be members of ward committees. “Nominating RWA members as special invitees is a welcome move. The BBMP should ensure the minutes of the meeting is uploaded on its website,” he said.