Bangalore bigger, make it better: Envoy

Bangalore bigger, make it better: Envoy
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: The British want better roads and tighter security in Bangalore. A senior diplomat has joined the chorus against poor infrastructure.

British Deputy High Commissioner Mike Connor feels the city’s infrastructure must keep pace with its image as the software capital. Of equal concern in Bangalore is security, he said.

Connor spoke to this website's newspaper after his meeting with Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, and said he was concerned about the need for better infrastructure in the IT city.

“I discussed issues from a British perspective. Bangalore has changed over the years and I did talk to the Chief Minister on issues related to infrastructure. I have been coming to Bangalore from 2000.

“Back then I was based out of London, and a lot has changed since. It is not easy to get around the city and those days you could have a cup of tea and relax. It becomes imperative that you have good infrastructure to make things move faster.

“The lack of such support will affect the city, as development is the need of the hour. The Chief Minister must look at this issue,” he said.

“The city must generate investment and business must be provided with the right inputs to grow. The Chief Minister spoke to us about Bangalore growing as a knowledge hub and mentioned the proactive role of private schools and colleges for the growth of the State. Bangalore definitely has such knowledge institutions for its economic growth,” Connor said.

He said that the other important matter that he discussed with the Chief Minister was security.

“We spoke about the recent terrorist attack here and the need to tighten security. The Chief Minister said an inquiry was on and that security was his priority,” Connor said.

Meanwhile Primary and Secondary Education Minister Basavaraj Horatti was called in by the Chief Minister to speak to the British diplomat about the growth of private academic institutions in Bangalore, Gulbarga and Belgaum. This was an effort to make the State a potential knowledge partner.

Open consulate, BSY tells UK

Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa met British High Commissioner Mike Connor on Wednesday and told him that a British consulate had to be set up in Bangalore, as trade and travel ties between Karnataka and Britain was on the rise.

Yediyurappa said he was happy with the decision of British Airways to introduce direct flights to London from Bangalore.

“Connor was concerned with Bangalore’s growth in infrastructure and I mentioned to him that the city would soon have a Metrorail project. Rs 30 crore has already been sanctioned for the project.

“The Bangalore international airport will also be complete soon. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has reiterated his commitment to change Bangalore’s bottlenecks in infrastructure in four months,” Yediyurappa said.