Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill is in interest of people: Minister Priyank Kharge

Kharge further said that this bill is in the interest of governance, administration, investments, and employment.

"This bill is in the interest of the people of Bengaluru. This bill is in interest of governance, administration, investments, employment," the Minister told reporters.

Kharge also hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for opposing the bill. Slamming them, he stated opposing just for the "sake of the opposing" is not good for state.

He said, "BJP seems to have a problem with everything that we propose for progress. They opposed steel flyover, now they complaint about traffic jams. We are suggesting tunnels; they have problems with that... We are ready to listen to them if they have a better way to go about it. But unfortunately, opposing, just for the sake of opposing is not good for state."

The Karnataka Assembly passed the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill on Monday.

The Bill proposes a Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) headed by Chief Minister Siddaramiah. The bill stated that the authority would have administrative, planning and executive powers over the city.

Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said that the bill passed aims to make the state's capital further stronger.

Speaking to the media, Deputy CM Shivakumar said "We are making Bengaluru stronger. We want proper administration for the city. The CM will be heading a Greater Bengaluru Authority, and we will have options to make more corporations. We have not disturbed the 74th and 75th Amendments."

Karnataka Minister Satish Jarkihioli said that the bill had been passed for the welfare of the people.

"This has been done for the welfare of the people," Jarkiholi said.

Congress MLA Ajay Singh said that the intention of the government was to develop Bengaluru.

"The intent of the government is to develop Bengaluru and maintain the city as the Silicon Valley of the country where all the IT companies come. The main aim is to improve Bengaluru," Singh said speaking to ANI.

Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad said, "We have passed this bill for administrative reform in Bengaluru, to decentralise power and make things more transparent, to benefit citizens of Bengaluru. BJP is opposing this bill for political reasons. The Governor will surely see merit in this bill." (ANI)