‘Pro-rural’ govt wakes up

‘Pro-rural’ govt wakes up
Orders Special Package To Patch Up Battered City Roads
The Times of India

Bangalore: It took roads in Bangalore to turn into crater-filled pits for Karnataka’s twin power centres — chief minister N Dharam Singh and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda — to wake up. Finally, they have ordered a special package grant to revamp the IT city’s roads!

In direct contrast to the oft-repeated JD(S) stand of ‘more for the rural areas, lesser for Bangalore’, finance and infrastructure minister P G R Sindhia told reporters here on Tuesday that the state will give “as much as is needed for Bangalore’’. “The CM and Gowda have personally directed me to release a grant for Bangalore roads. The grant will be used not only to repair the roads, but to build additional peripheral roads to ease traffic congestion within the city,’’ he said.

Sindhia said he had held meetings with IT-BT captains including Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, industry bodies, Bangalore city legislators and public works minister H D Revanna on the issue. “We are expecting to get funds from the Centre for Bangalore. Over and above this, we will give the special grant. We are not sitting idle,’’ he added.

A meeting with BMP commissioner K Jothiramalingam and officials is also on the anvil. “They have put up a proposal for several new flyovers. I will ensure that the finance department clears them soon,’’ Sindhia said.

At pains to furnish credentials of the speed with which he cleared other projects in and around Bangalore, Sindhia pointed to the Rs 1,400-crore Karnataka Municipal Reforms Project. “The programme was lying dormant for one year, I cleared it within a month-and-half of taking charge of the finance department. I have also cleared a JBIC loan for the Rs 3,500-crore Cauvery project to provide daily water supply to Bangalore,’’ he said.

The government is also looking at the condition of state roads. Queried on Revanna’s stand that a whopping Rs 300 crore had not been released to the PWD for this purpose, Sindhia said: “Deputy chief minister M P Prakash has convened a meeting of all deputy commissioners on Wednesday and Thursday to review rain damage. Funds will be allocated after that.’’

Sindhia treads cautiously on Metro track


The flip-flop on Bangalore Metro continues: A day after KPCC president Mallikarjun M Kharge blamed Sindhia for purportedly delaying the Metro Rail project, the latter maintained he wanted to tread on the project with caution.

“A Parliamentary committee has cast aspersions on the awarding of work contracts in Bangalore international airport. I do not want this repeated in any other infrastructure project, so I’m examining all files to ensure transparency,’’ Sindhia told reporters.

On Kharge’s criticism, he said: “He is a senior leader expressing his concern. The Centre has not sought any clarifications, only concurrence for the project.’’

Sindhia contended neither his “political boss’’ Deve Gowda, nor the party nor he were against the Metro. “We are all aware of the need for a parallel mode of transport for Bangalore. BMTC is taking 26 lakh commuters, Metro will take about 13 lakh. Neither Mono Rail nor ELRTS has come as a proposal before the infrastructure department, though we are examining a proposal to develop a Rs 1,000-crore circular railway,’’ he added.

On airport

Delhi Metro should be extended to its Bangalore counterpart. Sindhia said chief secretary B K Das would hold a discussion with finance and Bangalore Metro officials on Wednesday. “After this, the files would be put up before me and a final decision will be taken at the cabinet meet. We will all abide by it,’’ he added.

In wake of Union civil aviation minister Praful Patel seeking expansion of the Bangalore international airport terminal building, the state government has asked its officials to put up a proposal before the airport company board.

Sindhia said: “Though the Centre has not officially communicated the need for expansion, I have instructed the infrastructure secretary to draw up a proposal and get it cleared by the BIAL board. After this, it will come before the state cabinet.’’

He said the infrastructure department was also drawing up a blue-print for a direct rail link to the international airport.