Political will returns, IT City back on track

Political will returns, IT City back on track
The Times of India

Brand Bangalore seems set to get back its lost sheen. Citizens may take this with a pinch of salt, but the fact is, things have started moving on the infrastructure front at last. The pace may be slow, but the will to deliver is noticeable.

Work on the international airport has begun in right earnest. The Metro Rail project has received the green signal and is all set to chug. A Monorail to complement it is on the cards. Nineteen prime roads have been taken up for major repair. Several elevated expressways, more flyovers and elevators in place of skywalks are on the anvil. Footpaths are being spruced up. CMC areas are proposed to be merged with the BMP for better mana g ement. This is all thanks to the return of the much - needed political will, the impetus being given to public-private partnership (PPP) and competition stemming from cities like Hyderabad and Chennai, which are luring investors and IT giants with better infrastructure.

It looks like those at the helm have read the writing on the wall — that an economically strong Bangalore is vital for Karnataka’s progress. So the city needs utmost care.

Does this mean infrastructure projects aren’t encountering hurdles any more? The answer is both yes and no. Yes, because those who kept putting a spoke in Bangalore’s wheel have been silenced, thanks to a coup staged by their own men, followed by a change in political equations. No, because various civic bodies haven’t yet learnt to coordinate, private players are cautious in dealing with government agencies and local corporators are resisting measures that stop cuts that they allegedly get from every project.

But these aren’t unremovable hurdles. We just need to bring the players to the negotiating table, create an atmosphere of trust between them, draft a format for better coordination, create a single window for dealings, eliminate middlemen and slam the door on interfering politicians. Not a big deal if sincere efforts are made. Citizens, too, have a role to play. They need to imbibe civic sense, cooperate with authorities in dealing with encroachers and be patient when inconvenienced by development works.

Take Metro Rail, for instance. It is a herculean task. For the next three years, tunnels will be dug and pillars erected all over the city. This is bound to slow down traffic movement. Citizens need to keep cool and let work go on uninterrupted. The government must ensure that deadline for completion of the project is adhered to strictly. It must also look into demands from some localities for a slight change in the Metro route.

Once the Metro Rail is in place, life in Bangalore is bound to see a sea change. With a big chunk of traffic going underground or overground, the city’s roads will certainly be decongested. Delhiites and Kolkatans have been experiencing this luxury after going through difficult times when the Metro Rail was being laid. And if Monorail is introduced to act as a feeder service as promised, vehicle population, particularly two-wheelers and autorickshaws, will decrease considerably.

Alongside, the government must pay attention immediately to the badly maintained CMC areas. Merely bringing them under BMP will not serve any purpose. Work on roads, sewage system, drains and footpaths must begin on a war
footing. Once the monsoon season begins, no work can be done. Efficient and go-getting officials must be posted in these areas. Resident associations should be involved to keep tabs on the work done by civic agencies.

Bangalore must get moving fast. This is possible only if the government, civic agencies, industry, trade and citizens work as one team. From now on, ‘Save Bangalore’ should be the motto of every Bangalorean.