Lack of focus hits Bangalore growth hard

Lack of focus hits Bangalore growth hard
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: A city that gatecrashed into the elite metro league, riding the IT wave. A city whose growth curve is forever at the inflection point. A city that speaks the global tongue, that breathes free market. All encomiums fine. But the question that begs an earnest answer is: has the city ever had a fully devoted, full-time minister?
The answer is a big ‘no’. Tenures of most Bangalore development ministers were rather short and the portfolio was almost always held by the chief minister. Even though all city corporations and other civic bodies in Karnataka are attached to the urban development department, successive CMs have unfailingly hived off Bangalore development from the urban development ministry and kept it with them.
Such a debilitating handicap meant an urban development minister, in spite of the powers vested in him, didn’t have the mandate to oversee Bangalore development. Classic examples are B B Chimmanakatti and D K Shiva Kumar, who were urban development ministers during S M Krishna’s tenure, but minus Bangalore development. Krishna’s successors N Dharam Singh and H D Kumaraswamy lorded over urban development along with Bangalore’s administration with them. Ananth Nag was Bangalore city development minister in JH Patel’s cabinet.
The Bangalore development portfolio includes governing key civic agencies BBMP, BDA, BWSSB, BMRDA, KUIDFC, KUWS&SB and now Bangalore Metro Rail. It’s time Bangalore growth story was handled better. It’s time for quick amends.
V Somanna (Patel’s cabinet): Highmast light, work on Richmond Circle and Mehkri Circle flyovers, cablestayed bridge near KR Puram, work on Ring Road and Cauvery Stage IV Phase II was started during my tenure.
Ramalinga Reddy (Krishna’s ministry): Water supply and sanitary to some wards in Bangalore were implemented at a cost of Rs 600 crore, besides supplying water to 27 new wards. Seven sewage-treatment plants at a cost Rs 250 crore were set up in different parts of Bangalore. We issued notification to widen 45 roads. Agenda task forces, Lake Development Authority, Lalbagh makeover, setting up new parks and public toilets, among others, are Congress’ contribution.