Karnataka government annuls Bangaluru Vision Group

BENGALURU: After the Karnataka High Court expressed displeasure over the constitution of Bengaluru Vision Group despite constitutionally-mandated body like Bengaluru Metropolitan Planning Committee  already existing, the state government annulled the Vision Group.

Additional Advocate General A S Ponnanna placed the government order to that effect before the division bench of Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Krishna S Dixit on Monday.While hearing the public interest litigation filed by Namma Bengaluru Foundation challenging the constitution of Bengaluru Vision Group last Thursday, the High Court had questioned the creation Bengaluru Vision Group — Bangalore Blue Print Action Group (BBPAG) — on April 28, 2016, parallel to the BMPC and observed that there was no necessity of creating such body.   

In its order, the government referred the observations made by the court. Further, it stated that BMPC was constituted on June 8, 2014, in relation to development of Bengaluru. Therefore, the court was asked to tell the necessity of constituting Bengaluru Vision Group. The Vision Group is an advisory committee comprising the people interested in city, industrialists and experts, whereas BMPC is a constitutionally mandated committee which has the highest number of elected representatives as its members — about 70-80. This committee has the responsibility of preparing city development plan.Inspite of it, the government decided to annul the Vision Group after reexamining the matter in view of court’s observations, the government said in the order.