``Bangalore must reinvent itself''

Manmohan: invest in city infrastructure

The Hindu

``Bangalore must reinvent itself''

# Integrated development of Karnataka along with Bangalore needed
# Rehabilitation of project-affected people to be as "painless as possible"


BANGALORE: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday reiterated that Indian cities could no longer continue to develop "in a haphazard manner."

Dr. Singh, who laid the foundation for the Rs. 6,395-crore 33-km Bangalore Metro Rail project here, said the cities needed to invest in world-class public infrastructure and improve the quality of living.

Bangalore's skills were respected across the world. Its software earnings helped the balance of payments "even in these days when our oil imports are rising." But the city suffered for lack of adequate infrastructure and "other cities have been catching up, investing for the future."

Dr. Singh said: "There is no guarantee that the future will be a continuation of the past success of this city." Hence, the city would have to keep reinventing itself to maintain its lead.

Pointing out that Bangalore and Mysore had been covered under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), he urged Karnataka to prepare futuristic plans and take advantage of the mission. "You need to invest looking at the needs of two decades from now," he said.

The Prime Minister wanted the metro project completed in the next three years. He called for integrated development of Karnataka along with Bangalore. He saw no contradiction between the two. Some tried to divide people by pitting one against another in the development debate. "This is wrong," he said. A prosperous nation could be built through inclusive growth.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy announced that the monorail, which is to complement the metro rail, would come up on at least three routes. He said his Government would give the autonomy required for the Bangalore Metro rail management to expeditiously complete the project. He promised to make the rehabilitation of people affected by the project as "painless as possible." Ten trees would be planted for every one felled for the project.

He thanked Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram for giving extra funding of five per cent from the Centre, amounting to over Rs. 300 crore for the metro project.

Union Minister for Urban Development S. Jaipal Reddy urged the Karnataka Government to reduce stamp duty to at least five per cent to facilitate faster land ownership transfers.

Mr. Chidambaram said infrastructure challenges had to be addressed with a sense of urgency. Governor T.N. Chaturvedi presided.