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Hans India
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Non-profit group releases ‘report cards' of MPs and MLAs
Bengaluru: CIVIC Bangalore, a non-profit focused on urban governance and decentralisation, released 'Citizen report cards' for the city's elected representatives - four MPs and 32 MLAs, in the city on Saturday. The report was released during an event 'Namma Neta Namma Review.' The report cards were put together by citizen volunteers and student interns at the organisations over the course of the last six months, using publicly available data sources such as Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly websites, Right to Information filings, and Local Area Development scheme dashboards, among other sources. A Krishna Prashanth, a volunteer, shared that only four MLAs have fully utilised the Rs 4 crore made available under the Karnataka Legislator Local Area Development Scheme (KLLADS) over two terms: S Raghu (C V Raman Nagar), Sharath Kumar Bache Gowda (Hosakote), Uday Garudachar (Chickpet), and B A Basavaraja (Krishnarajapuram). Only one-fourth of the MLAs have allocated more than 90% of the funds, and as a result, Rs 40.79 crore of KLLADS currently lie unspent. Manjula S (Mahadevpura) has not allocated any of her KLLADS funds. Among the MPs, P C Mohan has allocated only Rs 47 lakh out of 5 crore made available in the current term — the lowest in comparison to the other MPs. C N Manjunath leads the other MPs in terms of fund allocations, having allocated Rs 6.3 crore, encompassing two years' worth of funds, mainly on bus shelters, community halls, roads and drainage. Tejasvi Surya has allocated 34.48% of his funds towards providing drinking water and 30.17% on public space development. Shobha Karandlaje's highest fund allocation, at 19.47%, was towards the education sector. While PC Mohan had the highest attendance (98.51%) among the aforementioned MPs, he only participated in one debate. However, Tejasvi Surya, whose attendance fell below the national average of 87%, standing at 77.61%, participated in 13 debates and asked 84 questions in the Parliament. Of the 84 questions, only six were centered around Bengaluru. Actor Prakash Belawadi was the chief guest at the event. He urged the citizens to hold their elected representatives responsible and organise protests when necessary.
New Indian Express
15-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Citizens' Report Cards for Bengaluru MPs, MLAs: MLA Gopalaiah's net worth jumps 1399 per cent
BENGALURU: Mahalakshmi Layout MLA K Gopalaiah's net worth witnessed a whopping 1,399 per cent jump when compared to his last term, while Rajarajeshwari Nagar MLA Muniratna's net worth surged by 959.63 per cent. Following these two MLAs is Shanthinagar MLA N A Haris, with a 318.62 per cent increase in assets. Leader of Opposition R Ashoka's net worth witnessed 104 per cent jump, compared to previous term, revealed the CIVIC Bangalore's -- Citizens' Report Cards of Elected Representatives for performance during the current term as part of the Namma Neta Namma Review (Our Leader, Our Review), released on Saturday. These report cards were released to coincide with Bengaluru's MPs completing 1 year into their term, as members of the 18th Lok Sabha on June 24 and MLAs completing 2 years into their term as members of the 16th Assembly, on May 20. They evaluated the performance of four Members of Parliament (MPs) from Bengaluru and 32 MLAs, including 28 MLAs representing Bengaluru. The report cards, compiled over six months by citizen volunteers and student interns, assessed elected representatives based on attendance, legislative participation, LAD fund utilization, criminal records, and personal asset growth.
The Hindu
14-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Citizens' report card examines performance of Bengaluru MPs and MLAs
P.C. Mohan, Member of Parliament (MP) representing Bengaluru Central, has the highest attendance of 98.51% when it comes to parliamentary sessions among the three MPs of the city, while Bengaluru South MP Tejaswi Surya's attendance is just 77.61%, falling below the national average of 87%, according to Citizens' Report Cards of Bengaluru's Elected Representatives in the current term released by CIVIC Bangalore (a voluntary citizen's initiative) on Saturday. The report card captured key performance metrics for individual elected representatives, which include attendance, number of questions raised, number of committees participated in, number of Bills introduced (Private/Government), and number of debates participated in(only for MPs). It also analysed LAD Fund utilisation numbers for MPs and MLAs and the total criminal cases declared in the last election and net worth growth for repeat MLAs and MPs during their last term. Despite his low attendance, Mr. Surya asked 84 questions in the Parliament and took part in 13 debates, while Mr. Mohan participated only in one debate, where he put a request for e-buses under the PM e-Bus Sewa Scheme for Bengaluru. C.N. Manjunath, Bengaluru Rural MP, had an attendance of 94%, asked six questions, and took part in nine debates. Mr. Manjunath also led in terms of Local Area Development Fund (LAD) allocation (₹6.3 crore), including the previous and current year's available funds. Mr. Mohan has utilised only ₹47 lakh out of ₹5 crore made available in the current term, as per the data. Shobha Karandlaje, Bengaluru North MP, has utilised 97.6% of LAD funds. Among the MLAs, N. Shreenivasaiah of Nelamangala constituency attended 100% Assembly sessions, with only 29% MLAs having greater than 90% attendance, while 3 MLAs had less than 70% attendance. With only 53.62%, Priya Krishna, MLA for Govindraj Nagar, held the last spot. The report also noted that the Legislative Assembly had only 69 sittings in 2 years. N.A. Haris, MLA for Shanthinagar, asked 230 unstarred questions (the highest among MLAs), while S. Muniraju from Dasarahalli asked the highest number of starred questions (7). The report further mentioned that only four MLAs have fully utilised the ₹4 crore made available under the Karnataka Legislature Local Area Development (KLLAD) Fund, while almost 1/4th (22%) have allocated more than 90%. 'Overall, ₹40.79 crore of KLLAD Funds currently lie unspent, while potentially ₹4.84 crore may be stuck/forefeited. S. Manjula of Mahadevpura has not allocated any of her ₹4 crore KLLAD funds,' the report said. The report card was developed by citizen volunteers and student interns at CIVIC Bangalore over a period of six months, using publicly available data sources such as the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly websites, LAD scheme dashboards, Right to Information filings and websites of non-governmental organizations such as PRS India and which track legislators nationally. Speaking at the release of the report, Prakash Belwadi, actor and civic activist, accused MLAs and MPs of prioritising business growth over welfare, adding that citizen pressure is the only check on their apathy.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Civic groups question Greater Bengaluru Authority Act over centralisation concerns
Bengaluru: Taking objection to the haphazard manner in which the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has been rolled out, several civic activists are contemplating legal options to prevent what they call derailment and destruction of decentralised governance in the city. At a public discussion organised by CIVIC Bangalore here Saturday, activists said they plan to file a PIL plea in this regard. In the current form, GBA will weaken local decision-making and hamper effective civic administration in Bengaluru, they claimed. On the govt's justification that GBA had to be brought in as Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had failed in administering the city, CIVIC Bangalore executive trustee Kathyanai Chamaraj said: "BBMP did not fail because of internal inefficiency, it was was systematically undermined by the govt. " One of the major criticisms by experts is that the govt failed to expand Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC), a body meant to coordinate various parastatal agencies, and instead opted to create GBA, which took away crucial planning and financial powers from BBMP. This move will leave the city's smaller municipal corporations with limited authority and resources, forcing them to depend heavily on the state-controlled GBA for major projects and budgets, they said. Satyajit Arikutharam, mobility expert, spoke about the impact the bill will have on major mobility decisions: "BMLTA (Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority) Act is already in force — the problem isn't the absence of law, but the deliberate neglect of it. Mega projects like tunnel roads are being pushed through without scrutiny, undermining public transport goals and democratic oversight. We're seeing real estate interests take precedence over planning, and citizens are left paying the price. This isn't just bad governance, it is an erosion of accountability disguised as development." TR Raghunandan, former bureaucrat, said the GBA Act is being sold to people as a reform, but in reality, it's a dangerous centralisation of power. "It creates multiple urban populations without constitutional backing, ignoring the spirit of the 74th Amendment. There's no clarity on what local bodies actually do. It's all PowerPoint governance and not actual empowerment. The Act pretends to devolve power while concentrating it at the top. This is not local self-governance; it's a model of elected monarchies. If we are serious about democracy and functional devolution, we need real responsibilities at the local level, not ornamental laws that weaken it further."
Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
New municipalities under Greater Bengaluru Authority to disrupt reservation rotations, undermine equity: Former IAS T R Raghunandan
Retired IAS officer T R Raghunandan Saturday warned that frequent delimitation and formation of new municipalities under the newly formed Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will disrupt reservation rotations for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and women candidates. 'Their (government's) aim is to prevent rotation of reservation from proceeding logically,' he said, claiming that such tactics violate the 74th Constitutional Amendment's equity mandates. He made the remark while speaking at a seminar organised by CIVIC Bangalore on the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act (GBGA). Raghunandan also urged Bengaluru to adopt the 'Manila and Brussels model', stating that decentralised municipalities with clear roles foster accountability. He, thereafter, argued that frequent delimitation creates new electoral cycles, allowing political actors to dilute the representation of marginalised groups. Raghunandan further noted that GBGA's devolution of 18 subjects is 'vague and ineffective', pointing out the lack of specific tasks for representatives. 'That means nothing,' he said, criticising the 'PowerPoint knowledge' approach that renders corporations symbolic. He stressed the need for precise role delineation to counter bureaucratic resistance and ensure functional governance. Raghunandan also flagged centralised control, with the GBA's state-appointed officials and initiatives like Smart City Private Limited bypassing elected bodies, creating 'elected monarchies'. Calling devolution a 'political battle,' Raghunandan urged engagement with ex-corporators to counter elite dominance. 'Karnataka's Panchayat Raj empowered marginalised groups through clear roles, but urban governance lags. The GBA needs to be challenged by ex-corporators' engagement to fight elite dominance. Devolution is a political battle requiring accountability to ensure Bengaluru's corporations serve all communities equitably,' he said. Kathyayini Chamaraj, Executive Trustee, CIVIC Bangalore, argued that the recently passed GBGA undermines the 74th Constitutional Amendment by centralising control under the state-led Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), headed by the chief minister. She then contended, 'The state, not BBMP, failed by delaying elections for years, weakening local self-governance and depriving citizens of responsive urban governance.' 'Splitting BBMP into seven corporations hinders equitable resource distribution, ignoring Delhi's re-merger lesson. The state's failure to activate the Metropolitan Planning Committee caused Bengaluru's 'ruined' growth, violating the 74th Amendment's mandate for vibrant local self-governance,' Chamaraj said.
