Urban governance likely to witness major changes

Urban governance likely to witness major changes
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: The government will introduce changes in urban governance to add value to Brand Bangalore.

The urban development department (UDD) on Monday apprised Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on the many hurdles that need to be cleared on the road to progress in a city that has recorded a decadal growth of 38.40 per cent.

The officials said Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) faced inordinate delays in approval of works from its own standing committees.

Further, the government too added to the delay as BMP works needed its approval, unlike the works undertaken by the BDA and the BWSSB.

As the BMP is proposing a 29 km core inner ring road under a Central urban renewal scheme with World Bank funding, bottlenecks need to be addressed, officials said.

The UDD said the BMP was facing a funds problem as the abolition of octroi had not been compensated for while the State Finance Commission grants remained at a meagre 0.4 per cent out of the total state share of 10 per cent.

The city generates about 45 per cent of the state’s GDP and cities like Ahmedabad and Pune receive up to 10 per cent of revenue generated by them.

Creation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to take up infrastructure works in BMP area and in CMC areas around the city would help the government, the officials said.

Further, the government should transfer its land free of cost to the BMP for garbage disposal.

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) will complete the main flyover on Airport Road by April and the four loops by July. The BDA would also complete the Jayadeva underpass by April and the HAL RoB by June.

BWSSB’s Cauvery IV Stage Phase II works will commence from April as concurrence from Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC) is awaited.

The project will increase water supply from 810 MLD to 1310 MLD. The Greater Bangalore Water Supply and Sanitation Project (GBWASP) will provide services to the seven CMCs and one TMC around Bangalore in 2006.

The work on Metrorail will begin after the government receives the Comprehensive Traffic and Transportation (CTTS) report by November 2006.

However, the choice of Metro will be made only if the peak hour peak direction traffic (PHPDT) is more than 25,000, the officials said. A traffic study for Phase I indicated a PHPDT of 40,000 three years ago.

The UDD also gave an alternative to merge CMCs and TMCs around the city with the BMP. Two separate city corporations, North and South, may be created.

The North Zone would have Byatarayanapura, Dasarahalli, Yelahanka, 75 percent of KR Pura, 30 per cent of Mahadevapura and 45 neighbouring villages.

The South Zone would comprise of R R Nagar, Kengeri, Bommanahalli, 70 per cent of Mahadevapura, 25 per cent of K R Pura and 64 neighbouring villages.

While the North Zone has dense development with high potential for revenue, the South Zone has restricted development with low revenue potential. Such a multi-nucleus growth model would lead to equitable development.

To speed up the pace of work the UDD said that major roads would be entrusted to KRDCL or a similar specialist agency.

The BMP or the SPV must be given Rs 250 crore immediately for works till June, they said.