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Quarterly reviews of finances a must, says Shankar

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE MAY 17. The Chairman of the Legislative Council, B.L. Shankar, today called for a quarterly review of the finances and working of all levels of public administration from the panchayat to Parliament. Quarterly reviews would bring in discipline and a "minimum amount of honesty", he quipped.

Mr. Shankar was addressing a gathering of citizens, bureaucrats, and representatives of NGOs at a public debate on the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike's (BMP's) fourth quarter review, organised at the Infosys campus here by the Public Record of Operations and Finance (PROOF).

He said quarterly reviews were "a must", and added that the public should be educated about the need for an internal audit at all levels of administration.

Speaking about the growth of Bangalore, Mr. Shankar urged the BMP Commissioner, M.R. Srinivas Murthy, to approach the Government for preparing a master plan for City, the areas under the seven city municipal councils (CMCs) on the outskirts, and the proposed international airport at Devanahalli, "keeping in mind at least the next 50 years".

The areas under the seven CMCs would eventually become part of the BMP, he said, and added that their inclusion was only a political decision.

On the mayors' tenure, Mr. Shankar said one year was too short for taking up any meaningful activity. Besides, the rotational reservation of seats did not give scope for a corporator to get re-elected and continue development efforts.

Each corporator should be allowed to contest at least two consecutive terms from the same constituency, he suggested.

Seeking quarterly release of funds for the speedy completion of specific programmes, he said aided projects should be made time-bound to avoid cost overruns, high interest, and other financial complications.

He lauded the introduction of the Fund-based Accounting System in the BMP, and said it should be implemented in all systems of public administration.

Mr. Shankar wanted citizens to be aware of the ecological needs of their city. He attributed the absence of birds such as sparrows and the lack of programmes for animal welfare to a lack of public interest and understanding. A sense of responsibility for the environment should be instilled on the lines of PROOF, he said.

He praised the efforts of the BMP and other citizens' groups in improving public governance, and urged citizens to demand that educated candidates should be fielded in elections. "Ensure a minimum educational qualification for the representatives. As things stand, even a non-graduate can contest. This should change," he said.

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