​The Urban Development Department (UDD) has published the draft of the Kamataka Municipal Corporations – Ward committee Rules, 2013 on May 26th 2015. Kathyayini Chamaraj, Trustee CIVIC, says they had not announced or published it on the UDD website. When Citizen Matters checked the website on June 8th 2015, the ticker on the homepage still carried the rules that were gazetted on November 10th 2014.  

Kathyayini says that when she enquired about the rules on multiple visits to the UDD office, the standard response was that it would take ten days and the like. When she visited the office on June 4th to enquire once again, she was handed a copy of the rules. 

The last date to submit objections was June 2nd, seven days from the date of issue of the rules, and this is already over. However, when Kathyayini visited the office on June 8th, an official mentioned that people could still send in their objections. Objections and suggestions can be shared with the Principal Secretary to Government, and mailed to the following address: Department of Urban Development, Vikasa Soudha, Bangalore – 560001.

If the UDD had put up the new rules on the website and made a public announcement, it would have been easier for citizens instead of having to look out for gazette updates everyday.  

Kathyayini also met Minister for Urban Development Vinay Kumar Sorake who assured her that he was in the process of setting up a committee to look into provisions of the 74th amendment and its implementation. He also mentioned that he had given a go-ahead to approve the removal of the veto power that was granted to corporators, however the gazette notification for the same is yet to be published.

Here are the new Draft Ward Committee Rules as published in the gazette on May 26th 2014. Kathyayani says of the 40-odd suggestions that were shared with the UDD in November 2014, four have been added in the new rules. You will find additions to the rules underlined.

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