Putting BANG into BANGALORE

Putting BANG into BANGALORE
BJP manifesto says ‘Vote BJP, Save Bangalore’. If voted to power, the party will give you the Moon
TIMES NEWS NETWORK


Annoyed with frequent power cuts and load shedding, the BJP has promised to set up an exclusive power generation unit for Bangalore city if voted to power.
Promising to convert Bangalore into a model city, the party’s poll manifesto released here on Thursday has prepared a vision document for urban infrastructure development.
The party will woo voters in Bangalore by using a phrase “Vote BJP-Save Bangalore’’. If voted to power, the party would draw blue prints to ease vehicular traffic, better the road infrastructure, give continuous water supply, better drainage system and to beat all a separate power generation unit for Bangalore.
How will they improve the system? The BJP has vowed to implement K Kasturirangan committee’s suggestion of direct elections for the BBMP mayor, who stays in the position for a full five-yearterm. And a commissioner assisting him will be selected among the professionals once in three years.
For covering metropolitan region of 8,000 sq km, a metropolitan planning council comprising elected representatives and experts would be constituted. It will plan and coordinate various activities in the region.
The administration will be decentralized with a view to
improving service delivery and prompting citizen participation. Development programmes will be undertaken by public-private partnership, including vehicle parking facilities in different parts of the city. Keeping the future water requirement view, the BJP will explore the possibility of Hemavathi river water. Laying stress on law and order control, the party will strengthen the law enforcement to reduce crime in the city. Not to forget, the CVS tax scheme would be reviewed by the government.
The capital value system (CVS) tax scheme which invited the wrath of the public, would be reviewed and a people-friendly property tax system would be introduced if voted to power. On infrastructure front, BJP will encourage private participation in power production. Besides e-governance for better services, constitution of citizen advisory committees for better administration and performance monitoring is in the offing.
“The plan is done keeping in mind the growing urban phenomenon. About 35% of the state’s population lives in urban areas and by 2020 this will increase to 45%. The party is committed to improve the living standards of the urban population,’’ manifesto committee chairman V S Acharya told reporters.
On industrial development front, the BJP promises to promote special industrial zones for steel, cement, food-processing, IT and BT. The party will also encourage NRIs and non-resident Kannadigas to invest in the state.
Former chief secretary A Ravindra is one of the members of the committee.
toiblr.reporter@timesgroup.com