GB: Govt may spell out stand today

GB: Govt may spell out stand today
Deccan Herald

Now that Greater Bangalore is a reality and election to the new civic body is expected any time in the next few months, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s day-long review meeting with the civic agencies of Bangalore on Saturday may well have many, possibly far-reaching, implications. Never mind it is being touted as a ‘stock-taking’ of the year gone by.

Further, there is reason to believe that it’s not going to be an audit on the past year, at least for the chief minister. It is learnt that what the civic agencies will say in their presentations has been reviewed twice over: by the chief secretary on Wednesday and by the chief minister on Thursday.

As per the programme schedule, the review session of the various agencies in the forenoon is slotted to be followed by an interactive session in the afternoon. In the latter session, the chief minister and officials will respond to issues raised by some of Bangalore’s “who is who” -- litterateurs, corporate honchos, builders, NGOs.

Though, BDA, the main organiser of the programme, has said the general public may participate in the programme, such participation in essence may be limited to those selected after the scrutiny of the responses the BDA has received in the run-up to the event. “This is not a meeting to redress grievances. We want people who have visionary and innovative ideas on what Bangalore should be in the future,” said one official. The government itself is expected to state its vision for Bangalore at the end of day.

But Mr Kumaraswamy, who inspected the preparations on Friday, said citizen’s suggestions on the future of Bangalore will be received and incorporated in the planning.

Will this meeting be on the lines of the BATF? “No”, said the CM, who pointed out that BATF’s work was “confined to a particular section of the City. But this one is for one and all.” For the record, the following are the agencies involved: Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company, the BMTC, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation and the Bangalore City Police. As if to add that dash of glamour, cine actor Ramesh Arvind has been invited to anchor the programme.

NO EXCLUSIVE THIS

Contrary to what some officials had to say about participation in the programme, ‘Bangalore Today and Tomorrow’, being held at Jnana Jyothi Auditorium, Central College Campus, Palace Road, at 10 am, it is going to be an open affair. People can even lodge their grievances, besides giving suggestions, directly to the Chief Minister. It will also be telecast live on DD Chandana.