BMP Council upset over Govt. notice on uniforms

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, JUNE 30. The councillors of Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) today expressed anguish over the show-cause notice issued by the Government to the BMP Council on its resolution on purchase of uniforms. Some even suspected a "conspiracy" behind the move.

At the meeting of the council, the councillors, including the former Mayor, Mr. K.H.N.Simha, said the notice had been issued by an officer in the Urban Development Department. They criticised the "insensitivity" of the Government towards the issue of distributing free uniforms to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students of BMP schools.

The council passed the resolution in April awarding the contract for supply of uniforms to the Karnataka Small Industries Marketing Corporation (KSIMC). The resolution quoted a Government order allowing corporations to purchase clothes from the KSIMC. It pointed out that the circular issued excluding the KSIMC and making it mandatory for the BMP to purchase clothes from other Government organisations such as the Karnataka Handloom Development Corporation (KHDC) could not override the Government order.

When the Government's notice came up for recording in the House, Mr. Simha said that the KHDC was set up for the "development of handlooms" in the State, and not for supplying uniforms.

Mr. K.Chandrasekhar (Congress-I) suggested that the council should take up the matter with the Chief Minister and prevent issuance of "unnecessary" show-cause notices. Mr. V.Shivashankar (DMK) wanted to know how the Government could issue a notice on the resolution within a few days after it was passed. Usually, it took six months for the Government to act on BMP files, he added.

Some councillors suggested that the BMP lead a delegation to the Chief Minister to sort out the matter.

The councillors were upset that the commissioner had ignored the directive of the council to hold negotiations with the KSIMC on the rates offered by it and supply uniforms to the students with Government approval. They said that no negotiations had been held as suggested by the council.

The council decided to stand by the resolution and leave the matter to the Government.

On the tender notification published recently for pre- qualification for awarding contract for the transportation of garbage in 27 health wards, the council, in a resolution, alleged that the tender had been published without its approval. The notification had not made it obligatory for tender applicants to register themselves with the Labour Department as per a Government order.

The council decided to extend the services of the existing contractors up to August.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Mangalore crumbling under its own weight?
Next     : Constables on night beat poorly equipped