Janaagraha pins hope on CDP

Janaagraha pins hope on CDP
The Times of India

Bangalore: A morale booster for Bangaloreans is on its way, with the incorporation of their suggestions in the 10-year master plan of the city.

Janaagraha, the development group working for citizens’ participation, has given citizens a platform to voice their suggestions on the modifications and loopholes in the Comprehensive Development Plan 2005-15 of the government prepared to design the master plan.

The CDP was reviewed for its structure, design and implementation in which close coordination of the government agencies and the residents at the community level was highlighted.

Plugging loopholes in the basic structure of the plan like lack of regional approach, better coordination among other civic bodies were some of the suggestions highlighted for the plan’s improvement. “Checking the commercialisation of residential areas and encroachment of public land is becoming a problem,” Janaagraha representatives said.

Recommendation to create Bangalore Metropolitan Regional Transportation Authority as a district wing under the Metropolitan Planning Committee, provisions for housing poor, creation of specific zones for vehicle parking, commercial hubs, retail enterprises and residential areas in every locality and designing a locality much before developing the area were also included in the plan.

“If planning is done in advance, the look of an entire locality and thereby the city can be changed,” they added. “We are glad that the technical review team has adopted these suggestions proposed by Janaagraha.”
The proposal will soon be put forth before the government.