Special body can fuel Bangalore’s growth

Special body can fuel Bangalore’s growth
Says Industry At Panel Discussion
The Times of India

Bangalore: What Bangalore needs urgently is a single unified administrative authority and a greater devolution of financial resources to it in order to sustain its success as a global business destination. That was what a spectrum of business leaders felt at a panel discussion on ‘How to fuel the growth of Bangalore’ organised by The Times of India on Monday. They made a passionate plea for the grant of a special status to the city so that issues like deteriorating infrastructure could be addressed more effectively.
While some called for a Union Territory status for the city, others said that it can take the form of a single, powerful authority, combined with the city being given a “fairer” share of the resources that are generated by it.
“Our city governance system is broken. Bangalore is too important for India for it not to work,” said T V Mohandas Pai, director (HR) in Infosys
Technologies. He also noted that while the bulk of the state government’s resources is generated from Bangalore, only a small fraction of it is spent on the city. Brand expert Harish Bijoor said a Union Territory status for important cities like Bangalore would make for more focussed governance.
Som Mittal, worldwide head (application services operations) of Hewlett Packard, said that Noida is a good example of a region developing on account of one agency taking over the whole responsibility. Irfan Razack, chairman of Prestige Group, called for the early adoption of the Greater Bangalore concept that is currently under discussion by the state government. Most panelists felt that there was a complete lack of vision in town planning. “We are choking in our own filth. We have to improve the administration’s powers of execution,” Capt G R Gopinath, managing director of Air Deccan, said.
Vijay Rekhi, president of the UB Group’s Mc-Dowell & Co, said that to address many issues, all that was needed was will, not monetary resources. Rekhi also admonished all those who think IT is getting undue favours, stating that “It’s not the monuments of Delhi that has taken India’s reputation to where it is, but Bangalore’s IT.” Panelists underscored further the importance of an active citizenry to ensure a responsive government.
FIVE-POINT AGENDA
l One single authority for Bangalore l The authority elected through a democratic
process l A revenue model that devolves to Bangalore a larger part of the resources collected from it than is currently being done l A citizens’ movement to demand action l A bureaucracy that is more responsive