Karnataka govt notifies amended Municipal Corporations Act to give more power to BBMP chief

It also allows the municipal agency for approving or sanctioning the plan or grant of commencement certificate or completion certificate, charge and levy fees for issuance of license, security of the building, maintenance of public roads or storing of construction materials in public places during construction, ground rent, occupancy certificate, and penalty for not obtaining commencement certificate at the start of the construction.

The amendment has come in the wake of a Karnataka High Court judgment that the BBMP bylaws under which license fee, ground rent fee, security fee and charges are collected from the landowners are contrary to the Municipal Act. Since the judgment in August, BBMP has not been approving plans or charging fees, causing huge losses for the civic body, officials said.

“All acts, proceedings or things done or any action taken by the government or the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike officers as the case may be in connection with the levy, assessment or collection of any amount as fee for all purposes be deemed to be and to have always been made, done or taken in accordance with law.  No suit or other proceeding shall be maintained or continued in any Court or Tribunal or before any authority for the refund of any such fee and no Court shall enforce any decree or order directing the refund of any such fee,” the notification, issued following assent from Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, read.