‘It will be the biggest civic body in the country…’

‘It will be the biggest civic body in the country…’
Here’s what some prominent Bangaloreans have to say on the proposed Greater Bangalore project



The upside of Greater Bangalore is that there will be a more integrated approach in the developments in the new areas, compared to the present haphazard growth, with the people also getting services equal to the services in the Bangalore City Corporation (BCC) areas. Amalgamation is inevitable if we are to ensure that Brand Bangalore retains its status among investors as the most favoured destination.
The downside of the experiment would be in terms sharing some of the existing services, more specifically water, which will entail spreading it too thin. This problem will have serious ramifications since the demand in the eight urban local bodies around BCC will increase with development gaining pace in these areas. Currently, the economic capacity of the people in these areas is not such as to bear the additional capital cost of augmenting water, which will be astronomical. There is no short-term solution to this problem.
The amalgamated BCC will be the biggest civic body in the country, when it happens. The sooner we do it the better. The total f i n a n c i a l package to support the experiment has to match the felt needs, failing which the problems will only make matters worse for all the stakeholders.
M N Vidyashankar
Secretary, Medical Education



The suburbanisation that the Greater Bangalore project aims to create is a positive step towards planned growth. The government should emulate the commuting pattern of busy Chicago where citizens commute by subway for more than 40 miles at a stretch and also work in transit. Since the public transport is efficient almost 70 percent of the citizens travel by bus or train. Also, senior citizens can travel for free.
If the government earmarks separate residential and commercial areas there will not be a spill-over of traffic. M ove m e n t will be centered round those dedicated areas only. There should be more townships and satellite towns offering the same facilities and opportunities available in the heart of the city. Schools and offices can be located in a specific area, while shopping and leisure activities can be in another. Emergency healthcare and other services should be accessible to people living within that specific neighbourhood so they do not need to travel far.
Dr Prithvi Raval
Dental surgeon and
prosthodontist



The plan to integrate seven city municipal councils and a town municipality with Bangalore City has been debated for over a decade. The current city limits infact now closely overlaps with the other city councils with IT and other industries being spread across areas such as Electronics City, Kengeri and Whitefiled. I believe that the integration of these councils will enable the corporation to provide improved and consistent services to all the citizens who reside within the Greater Bangalore limits. The integration will enhance the administration's ability to raise funds for development from multi-lateral institutions such as the World Bank, which is much required for the benefits to be seen by the citizens. It would be appropriate to explore the integration of other civic services such as Water Supply, BDA and Electric Supply into the administration to provide seamless services to the citizens.
Pradeep Kar
Founder, Chairman and Managing Director Microland


The Greater Bangalore project is a very good concept provided it is planned meticulously. Development of peripheral areas and provision of basic facilities in these neighbourhoods will certainly decongest traffic. Presently, most shopping malls and offices are located in the heart of the city and there's more movement of traffic to these areas. Right now only BCC areas have been modernised. The Greater Bangalore project will see the development of the CMCs and TMC as well which will facilitate traffic dispersal.
A 'cluster' type development in peripheral areas like K R Puram and Whitefield with their own malls, recreational areas, offices, educational institutions and healthcare facilities will create counter magnets to attract people residing in and around these neighbourhoods instead of their commuting to the city centre for their needs. If the same quality of facilities is provided in the CMCs, people will stay and work within the area.
M N Reddi
Inspector General of Police
and Additional Commissioner
(Traffic)