See changes in infrastructure of Bangalore in a year: Yeddyurappa

See changes in infrastructure of Bangalore in a year: Yeddyurappa

Special Correspondent

‘I have a dream to transform it into a city of global standards’

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

All smiles: (From left) Scientist K. Kasturirangan, Legislative Council Chairman B.K. Chandrashekar and Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa at the Agenda for Bengaluru Infrastructure Development summit in Bangalore on Saturday.

BANGALORE: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa set the tone for the first summit on the Agenda for Bengaluru Infrastructure Development (ABIDe) on Saturday with a promise to bring about visible changes in the infrastructure of Bangalore within a year.

“You will definitely start seeing changes in the development of Bangalore, especially infrastructure, in a year,” the Chief Minister said at the concluding session of the summit in which various civic agencies listed their plans for the development of Bangalore and experts, residents’ associations and industry representatives expressed their views on infrastructure development issues.

“I have a dream to transform Bangalore into a city of global standards with world class infrastructure,” he said and reiterated the plans of his Government to take up massive infrastructure development in Bangalore at a cost of Rs. 25,000 crore. “There is no dearth of funds for the development of Bangalore and the Government has appealed to the Centre to provide special assistance in this regard,” the Chief Minister said.

The Chief Minister noted that the main intention of the summit was to evolve a vision for the development of Bangalore as a city of global standards. It also aimed at forging a public-private partnership and bringing about coordination among various civic agencies and stakeholders for the development of Bangalore.

He said his Government would make efforts to get the services of the best talents in the private sector through ABIDe for the development of Bangalore.

Fifteen government agencies, including Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, Bangalore Development Authority, Bangalore Electricity Supply Company, Bangalore Traffic police and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, announced short-term and long-term proposals for the improvement of city’s infrastructure.

The views of experts, elected representatives, trade and industry leaders and NGOs were elicited on various aspects of infrastructure development. Such a summit was held in the State when S.M. Krishna was Chief Minister and the Bangalore Agenda Task Force was constituted to oversee the development of Bangalore. Taking an indirect dig at such efforts made by the Congress Government, Mr. Yeddyurappa said: “Unlike what had been done in the past, ABIDe will make concrete efforts for the development of the city.”