Residents prefer MLAs, not BBMP councillors, finds study

NT Correspondent
Bengaluru

With Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections round the corner, Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy has conducted a City Politics Survey to gauge public perception of local governance. The survey has found lack of public awareness and participation in the local bodies that govern the city.

Only 17% of those surveyed knew the name of the last Mayor, while 97% knew the prime minister’s name and 83% knew the chief minister’s name. The survey has also found that voters are likely to seek help of the local MLA to resolve issues rather than the ward councillor.

More than half of Bengaluru voters do not recognise ward as a unit of governance in BBMP and the awareness about local governance and ward committees is still a work in progress.

88% have never met the ward councillor, 87% are not aware of ward committees, 95% have never attended ward committees and 94% are unaware of BBMP’s Rs 60 lakh per ward allocation for ward committees in the financial year 2021-22.

These committees are also attended by civic agencies like Bengaluru Traffic Police, BWSSB, BESCOM and BMTC. However, an overwhelming majority (82%) of Bengaluru voters believe coordination between BBMP and civic agencies like BESCOM, BWSSB, BMTC, will contribute to better city governance. 87% of voters also believe a strong councillor would ensure better services and improvement in infrastructure for their wards.

Other Findings

Pedestrian mobility is the biggest issue among all the socio-economic sectors

Urban poor struggle to access water

Middle and upper-class people lament the traffic congestion

89% voters are concerned about environmental issues and climate change

Only 25% voters feel councillors accord environmental issues noteworthy significance

79% of the city’s youth and first-time BBMP voters are concerned about the impact of climate change

86% of the youth strongly expressed the intention to cast their vote in the upcoming BBMP election.