CM at IT again on infrastructure

CM at IT again on infrastructure
Deccan Herald

The government on Thursday said it would convene yet another meeting of IT captains and government officials in Bangalore next week to chalk out strategies for solving the infrastructure problems.

This move follows the demonstration held by the IT sector and the public on the condition of roads in Bangalore recently.

The government also said that it had identified 28 link roads on the City outskirts for improvement and upgradation in a bid to decongest traffic around Bangalore.
Chief Minister N Dharam Singh said he would convene a meeting of IT captains and government officials after the Bidar bypoll. “Though we are pro-poor and pro-farmer, we will not ignore IT and BT. We have not forgotten to address infrastructure issues,” said Mr Singh, after formally inaugurating Reuter’s new facility in Bangalore.

Mr Singh had, in August, held a meeting with the IT captains who had expressed displeasure about bad roads, traffic congestion and poor power conditions in and around Bangalore and had assured that these problems would be solved at the earliest.

Mr Singh said his government had planned several initiatives to improve infrastructure in the City including an IT corridor spread over 8,600 acres to encourage the rapidly expanding IT sector.

To decongest traffic, the chief minister said the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) would construct 14 flyovers within six months to smoothen vehicular flow. This apart, the Centre had promised to provide Rs 400 crore financial assistance for constructing an elevated road linking Electronics City with Bangalore. Mr Singh lauded the progress of IT industry in Bangalore in the recent times, which had built a strong brand value for the City and had attracted huge foreign investments.

The chief minister also said the government was looking forward to revive the Bangalore Agenda Task Force (BATF), a public-private initiative set up by his predecessor S M Krishna.

Meanwhile, Public Works Minister H D Revanna told reporters that a total of 340 km of roads would be upgraded at various points located on the city outskirts at a cost of Rs 132 crore. A committee headed by the Public Works Department Secretary has been directed to prepare a report within a fortnight, he said.

The roads identified are Bangalore-Magadi-Huliyurdurga Road, Yelahanka, Hindupur Road, Hesaraghatta Tank Bund Road, Hosakote-Kadugodi-Anekal (HKA) Road to Varthur, Kundalahalli Cross to Hoodi Village, Kumbalgodu Tataguni Road joining Bangalore-Mysore Road and Kanakapura Road via Agara, Avalahalli-Byrathi Road, K R Puram to HKA Road via Devasandra Sadaramangala, Dommasandra Road via Kodathi Kachamaranahalli, Kagalipura to Bannerghatta Road, Kengeri Uttarahalli Road to join Kanakapura Road, Sarjapura Road via Naganathapura, Basavanapura Gate to NH-7, Agara Lake via Kudlu, Huliyurdurga Road via Nelakadaranahalli, Bangalore-Nagavara via Jakkur, NH-7 via Kogilu Bellahalli, Nagavara-Thanisandra Road, Bangalore-Hennur-Kannur Bagalur Road, Bommanahalli via Begur Koppa Road, Chandapura Dommasandra Road, Bangalore Dommasandra Road, Anekal to Attibele Road, Hosakote-Kadugodu Anekal Road-Varthur via Sarjapur, Nelamangala Sondekoppa Tavarekere Road, Road from Hope Circle to Soukya Holistic Centre.
These stretches come outside the purview of BDA and BMP.

Bannerghatta Road
Meanwhile, the protests by IIMB students and residents over the bad condition of Bannerghatta Road earlier this week seems to have paid results. Mr Revanna, who returned from a 12-day tour of China, Singapore and Malaysia, on Wednesday has got the files moving. A decision to reopen the tendering process for improving the vital stretch will be taken at the next cabinet meeting, he said.

Presently, the Rs 21 crore earmarked for improvement of Bannerghatta Road, Airport and Sarjapur Road has doubled due to cost escalation. The cabinet will decide whether to call for fresh tenders or go ahead with the present contractors, he said.

He assured that repair of the road would be taken up at the earliest.