Two more city corporations?

Two more city corporations?
The Times of India

Bangalore: After the muchtalked about Greater Bangalore project which envisages amalgamation of the CMCs into the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, the latest plan is to create two new city corporations in the city.

Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy announced that the government will shortly take a decision on the formation of two more city corporations in Bangalore — Bangalore north and Bangalore south — which will amalgamate urban local bodies, peripheral and rural areas.

Speaking after inaugurating the flyover at Ananda Rao Circle on Friday, Kumaraswamy said in the 40 months tenure of his government, Bangalore’s development will be taken to a different direction. At the same time, he also promised that the rural areas will get adequate attention.

The new CM reiterated that the siteless residents of Bangalore who have been residing for the last 30 to 40 years will be given sites by the BDA. Even the migrants to the city who are basically labourers will be looked after by the government.

Announcing that the BDA will invest projects worth Rs 2,500 crore in the coming years, Kumaraswamy said work will be hastened on the construction of steel flyovers, peripheral ring road and other grade separators. Allaying apprehensions about the future of Metro Rail, Kumaraswamy said the project will be taken up as per the original plan.

Deputy chief minister B S Yediyurappa said henceforth while acquiring lands for projects, a mechanism would be mooted to ensure that only 50 per cent of the farmers’ lands are acquired leaving them with adequate lands for their survival.

Mayor Mumtaz Begum put forth a suggestion that instead of developing a park in the old central jail premises, the government should mull over transforming that place into a hawkers’ zone and parking lot which will ease the congestion of the central areas.

The flyover, built by the BDA, connects Ananda Rao Circle and Seshadri Road. The five-lane carriageway is 647 metre and another loop which connects Ananda Rao Circle and Race Course Road will be opened in April.

People using the flyover from Ananda Rao Circle can travel towards KR Circle, Seshadri Road, Vidhana Soudha, Cubbon Park and Gandhinagar.