Another delimitation in pipeline

Following a government order in February, the deputy commissioners, Bangalore urban and rural, have been asked to identify and demarcate areas falling along the specified stretch.
"The urban development department has written to us to identify the villages that are within 500 metres from both sides of the national highway leading to Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) to be brought under BBMP jurisdiction.A survey will be conducted to select the village pockets and a report will be sent to the government,'' DC Bangalore urban G N Nayak said.
This move is to facilitate the High Speed Rail Link (HSRL) to BIA which is being taken up under the Mysore Tramway Act for which the criterion demands that the project should fall under an urban municipal body. The state government, in its order on February 28, had okayed the idea and said "extend the BBMP area to cover Bangalore International Airport area.''
BBMP chief S Subramanya had written to the government proposing to include villages along the NH under BBMP to widen the tax base and upgrade infrastructure. Also, the BBMP will be in charge of maintaining the NH stretch once it is transferred to it.
WHAT NEXT?
* Delimitation process involves census blocks and a village comes under one such block
* Villages falling within 500 metres radius from NH will be taken into account as a whole and not split, if they exceed set boundaries
* DC will send report to government after identifying villages
* Also village panchayats' opinion and BBMP resolution approved by council/administrator is necessary when considering merger options
* It is essential to ensure that areas don't overlap with Bangalore International Airport Area Planning Authority, which is local planning authority for BIA and surrounding areas
* Based on the report, government will issue GO notifying delimitation process and carving of wards
* Then follow draft and final notification
WHY THE INCLUSION?
* Inclusion done keeping in view HSRL
* Under Tramway Act 1905, a clause says that rail project can be taken up only on lands situated under an urban local body
* Now, land on which the project is designed to come up is under suburban and rural areas
* If implemented under Mysore Tramway Act, project will remain with government
* If implemented under Railways Act, project will be property of railways