BANGALORE: The Karnataka government on Monday constituted an expert committee to split BBMP.

Former chief secretary BS Patil will head the committee, while former
BBMP commissioner Siddaiah and urban affairs expert V Ravichander are
its members. The panel will recommend the ways and means to split the
palike and take up administrative matters. It has been given three
months to submit a report.

Bangalore district incharge minister
Ramalinga Reddy had written a letter to chief minister Siddaramaiah in
August 2013 batting for splitting BBMP. Besides Reddy’s letter, promise
of splitting BBMP found mention in the Congress manifesto of the 2013
assembly polls.

The government has cited administrative set ups
in London, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi cities for the reason for
splitting BBMP, which has over 800sqkm
An official order says Mumbai
has 603 sq km and has 8 municipal corporations and 9 city municipal
corporations (CMCs). Kolkota with 186 sq km has 100 wards and 38 CMCs.

The government has also compared London and said that the capital of
England has the same population of Bangalore but has 32 independent city
regions.

Sources in the urban development department (UDD) said that a proposal to split palike on the lines of Delhi is also working.

The 272-member Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was split into
three in 2012 by creating new North, South and East MCDs. The north and
south MCD has 104 counselors each, while the east MCD is a 64-member
body. All three MCDs have elected mayors. New Delhi Municipal Council
(NDMC) consisting of VVIP areas and Lyten’s Delhi also exists, but is
governed by Union ministry of home affairs (MHA).

BMP was
upgraded to BBMP in 2007 and poll was held to 198 wards was held in
March 2010. The election to BBMP is scheduled in March/April 2015.