BENGALURU: Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday chaired the second meeting of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), bringing together the government, elected representatives and heads of key civic agencies to coordinate development and civic administration across the five city corporations.Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, the GBA vice-chairperson, and senior officials were among those present.Shivakumar said he did not want to postpone the civic elections and that they would have been held by now but for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).“Whether it is a road, drain or any other work taken up with any grant, there has to be proper documentation and video recording. I am aware of the irregularities. I have a list of around 40 officers who are supposed to be suspended, but I am not doing so because the system will stop functioning. Do not do anything outside the legal framework even if ministers or MLAs ask you to. Do only what is permissible under the law,” he told officials.On road projects and land acquisition, Shivakumar said there would be opposition whenever new roads were taken up. Referring to those who challenge projects in court, he said the government would have to be “merciless” while executing public works.He said the government was not asking people to give away their property for free and pointed to the compensation, TDR and FAR offered for land acquired for public projects.Shivakumar also stressed the need for proper documentation and video recording of civic projects taken up using grants and told officials not to act outside the legal framework even if ministers or MLAs asked them to do so.
