Greater Bangalore plan notification likely today

Greater Bangalore plan notification likely today

The Hindu

It will increase the city's area to 696.17 sq km

# Government had six proposals before it on the issue
# Some officials say that administration of large city will be difficult

BANGALORE: The first official step towards Greater Bangalore will finally be taken. The State Government is likely to issue the notification for the formation of Greater Bangalore on Friday. With this formal announcement, eight urban local bodies and 103 villages on the outskirts of the city will be brought within the city limits.

Bangalore city, now covering an area of 226 sq.km., will have an area of 696.17 sq km. The seven city municipal councils are that of Byatarayanapura, Dasarahalli, Mahadevapura, Yelahanka, Rajarajeshwarinagar, Bommanahalli and K.R. Puram with an area of 257.97 sq. km.

The Town Municipal Council of Kengeri will be included and it will add 34 sq km. The 103 villages with more than 30 per cent development and 178. 20 sq km would be part of Greater Bangalore.

The local body for the area would be Bangalore Mahanagara Palike.

Options

Sources told The Hindu that the State Government decided on this proposal after taking into consideration six proposals in which the city could be re-organised. The proposals were submitted to the Government six months ago, a top official of the Town Planning department said.

One proposal excluded the 103 villages (to be part of Bangalore now) and brought the area to be governed by BMP to 517.97 sq km. The third proposal included BMP limits, the ULBs and 33 villages that had witnessed 70 per cent development. The BMP would then have governed 597 sq km.

The fourth proposal recommended leaving the BMP as it currently was and divided the ULBs and adjoining 26 villages that had seen 30 per cent development into two zones — East and West zone. The bifurcation would have come along the Bannerghatta Road in the south and the Bellary Road in the North.

The fifth proposal recommended that the BMP area not be expanded. The eight ULBs and adjoining 45 villages could be divided along Magadi Road in the west and Varthur in the east. The two zones could be divided into North and South zone.

But the State Government had opted for a proposal with the largest area for Bangalore. "Administration will be unwieldy and it is against the decentralisation," said a top official in the Town Planning Department.