Rs. 23,000 crore to be spent on Greater Bangalore: Prakash

Rs. 23,000 crore to be spent on Greater Bangalore: Prakash

The Hindu

`A deaf Government and dumb people do not constitute democracy'

BANGALORE: The State Government will spend Rs. 23,000 crore on developing the proposed Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Home Minister M.P. Prakash has said.

Mr. Prakash was inaugurating five parks and a musical fountain at Kammanahalli of Kachakaranahalli ward. The Minister said the formation of BBMP was aimed at developing the surrounding seven City Municipal Councils (CMCs), one Town Municipal Council (TMC) and 111 villages in the same way as Bangalore.

"These local bodies have grown haphazardly and people do not have basic amenities. We are planning to develop all these areas uniformly," he said.

Mr. Prakash, who dismissed the charges levelled by the Congress that the BBMP was a conspiracy to put off Council elections, said: "A deaf Government and dumb people do not constitute democracy. This Government is doing its best to respond to the demands of a growing city."

Lauding the efforts of the Kachakaranahalli corporator Padmanabha Reddy in developing the area, the Minister said that Mr Reddy had repaid the debt he owed to the residents of his ward for electing him by developing the area with all civic amenities.

Earlier, the Minister inaugurated five parks, a musical fountain at Kammanahalli and unveiled the statue of Kempegowda in front of Jalavayuvihar complex in the area — all built at a cost of Rs. 2 crore. He distributed free sewing machines to 80 beneficiaries of BMP's tailoring courses and five Maruti vans to unemployed youths of the area.

He laid the foundation stone for a community hall and inspected the Banaswadi Police Station.

Mr. Reddy appealed to the people to maintain the parks and ensure that the greenery was not destroyed.