The Hindu 02.08.2012
ELCIA to resist move to bring Electronics City under BBMP
‘We’ve been managing this estate for almost 20 years and we’ve done a decent job’
On Tuesday, the cash-starved Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), in an attempt to beef up its coffers, passed a resolution to include all three stages of Electronics City and the villages surrounding it under its ambit so that it can extract Rs. 300 crore in taxes from this prime business and industrial area.
A day later, the Electronics City Industries Association (ELCIA) has declared that it will resist the move.
As per the BBMP council’s proposal, areas such as Shikaripalya, Thirupalya, Neeladrinagar, Bettadasapura, Konappana Agrahara, Dodda Togur, Gollahalli, Balaji Extension, Hulimangala, Govinda Shettypalya, Krishna Reddy Extension, Neo Town, Shanthipura and Veerasandra Industrial Area will come under the palike’s jurisdiction.
Major hub
The issue came up at Tuesday council meeting with Yediyur councillor N.R. Ramesh pitching the idea that Electronics City, which houses around 187 major electronics and IT companies, 26 international educational institutions, residential apartment complexes and three-star hotels spread over a total built-up area of close to 3 crore sq. ft, was benefiting from the infrastructure provided by the BBMP.
With more malls and apartments coming up, the potential revenue from the newly added areas for the palike would be almost Rs. 300 crore, he said.
This sparked off more suggestions to include far-flung areas under the palike, among which are areas around the Bengaluru International Airport.
‘Out of the question’
ELCIA’s contention is that the BBMP is not involved in any activities in the area. Its chief operating officer (CEO) N.S. Rama told The Hindu any proposal other than converting Electronics City into an industrial township was out of the question.
“We have not received any communication from the BBMP. All that we know is through the media. But we don’t know what infrastructure the BBMP is talking about. Even the elevated road was not the BBMP’s contribution. We have been managing this estate for almost 20 years now and we have done a decent job,” she said.
Tax payment
Asked to comment on the allegations of some councillors that the resistance to come under the BBMP was only to avoid paying the property tax to the corporation, Ms. Rama said: “We are paying tax to the panchayat.”
She added that ELCIA would soon write to the government expressing its reservations about the proposal.
- BBMP council passed a resolution in this regard on Tuesday
- BBMP is not involved in any activities in the area: ELCIA
