City craves for infrastructure overhaul

City craves for infrastructure overhaul

Infrastructure projects have been pending for a long time and there has been a lack of public participation in decision making on infrastructure.

Deccan Herald

The year 2004-05 saw the crumbling of the Singapore dream in Bangalore. Even as greatness was thrust upon the ‘Bangalored’ Silicon City, IT musclemen threw their hands up in despair and residents came out on the streets to protest potholed roads, booming traffic and poor infrastructure.

The IT Corridor, Bangalore Metro Rail, Bangalore International Airport -- all projects that had the promise of an action-packed blockbuster -- are yet to be released. Bangalore did not even make a guest appearance in last year’s State Budget.

With woes aplenty among IT City’s denizens, this year, hopefully, the State budget will come forward to resurrect their dreams.

To those actively involved in improving the City’s infrastructure, like Janaagraha and the erstwhile Bangalore Agenda Task Force, reforms take priority over fund allocation. They are looking for “visionary reforms” that will unlock the potential of local bodies to finance their own infrastructural needs.

A Janaagraha study has predicted that Karnataka’s cities have the capability of raising returns by an incremental Rs 5,000 crore by using existing resources, if channelised efficiently. In the light of this, the focus of these reforms should be on increasing transparency in local bodies and the government, and legitimising public participation in infrastructure-related decision-making.

“Participation and disclosure laws will automatically build people’s trust in the government, and this will result in buoyancy in tax collection,” believes Ramesh Ramanathan, Janaagraha founder.

Government to benefit
In fact, the State Government should have a vested interest in making cities self-sufficient so that additional funds can be deployed to rural areas. “Such confidence-building reforms will allow co-existence of infrastructure development in both rural and urban areas,” adds former BATF member Ravichandar.

Besides, with issues of roti-kapda-makaan still holding strong among the urban poor, the State budget should give as much priority to drinking water, sanitation and electricity, as it gives to flyovers and roads.

However, the only concern of working professionals in the City is the failing transport system. “We have been hearing about infrastructure projects for a long time, but nothing seems to take off. The budget should commit itself to get things moving, especially those that will improve transportation in the City,” says S Ravi Ramu, Chief Financial Officer of Mphasis.

Where is IT corridor?
B2K Corp head Vivek Kulkarni wants the budget to clear the IT Corridor proposal, submitted by him when he was IT Secretary in 2003. The proposal, drafted in consultation with Jurong-Town (the private agency that planned Singapore), promotes a planned link between Electronic City and Marathahalli. “Improve connectivity by speeding the construction of the Devanahalli International Airport,” demands Gautam Sinha, CEO of TVA Infotech.

Good news has begun to trickle in, post Union Budget. The Rs 5,605 crore Metro Rail project has been given a shot in the arm, with the Centre promising to release Rs 1,447 crore towards it. The Centre has proposed a Rs 5,500 crore outlay towards National Urban Renewal Mission to gear India’s urban centres to meet its infrastructural requirements. Bangalore can play a pivotal role in this regard.
Now it’s time for the State budget to bring cheer.