The New Indian Express 01.02.2011
Act says BBMP committees not allowed to raid
BANGALORE: City council’s standing committees have been in news recently due to their surprise inspections at malls, hotels and other places even though the law does not empower them to do so.According to Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, there is no provision wherein the committees can carry out such inspections. As per section 61(A) of the KMC Act, the committees can conduct meetings and other proceedings within the BBMP council. According to section 71(2), “The meetings of the corporation and the standing committees shall be held in the office of the corporation and the business before them shall be disposed of in accordance with the prescribed procedure”.
The standing committee on markets had recently got involved in a verbal duel with the management of Garuda Mall. The committee members insisted that they were ‘unquestionable’ and that they had the right to carry out inspections when and where they wanted. As per the KMC Act, the committees can inspect only the BBMP offices.
