ABIDe draws up plan for streamlined city

ABIDe draws up plan for streamlined city
Shifts Focus To Southern Areas Of Bangalore
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: The government is bracing for the scope and challenges of an expanding Bangalore by entrusting civic agencies with greater powers and streamlining inter-agency coordination. The Agenda for Bangalore Infrastructure Development (ABIDe) task force — that met on Friday under the chairmanship of chief minister B S Yeddyurappa — mooted the possibilities of extending the jurisdiction of the BWSSB to cover the entire Bangalore Metropolitan Region (BMR).
The proposal will be followed up after factoring in the repercussions of the move. The Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) will be strengthened and more integrated townships will be planned in the BMR. According to Rajya Sabha MP and ABIDe convener Rajeev Chandrashekhar, the proposal is to address the issue of burgeoning population in the BMR by disbursing the rush outside the city. Planning for development in BMR will be pegged to the region’s southern parts and areas that fall in the jurisdiction of the Bangalore International Airport Area Planning Authority.
During its fifth meeting, the ABIDe task force also discussed transportation as well as sewage and sanitation issues. It was also decided to push for environment-friendly standards for major road projects, including the proposed satellite town ring roads, by ensuring features like green belts at the planning stage itself. Integration of transportation systems with these projects will be taken up. A sub-committee to monitor development of all wards is also on the task force agenda.
The state is also planning to initiate a branding exercise, wherein Bangalore’s civic agencies will come with the ‘Namma Bengaluru’ tagline.
Vision document
Members of the task force have moved closer to the implementation of the vision statement, Plan Bengaluru 2020. The members reviewed the progress of developmental works discussed during the previous meetings.
The civic agencies are expected to release their individual vision documents, following which a comprehensive report will be compiled. The report will be the basis on which work will be monitored.
Better coordination among departments. Translated into streamlined development of the city. That was the message the chief minister gave to the members during the meeting. Calling for better interaction among civic agencies in monitoring the progress of works, he asked for detailed progress reports from all the agencies.
The BBMP commissioner had on September 15 given details on 15 developmental works that needed to be taken up. The civic agencies have been directed to explain the progress of these works.
Ministers Katta Subramanya Naidu, R Ashok, former chief secretary A Ravindra and BBMP commissioner S Subramanya attended the meeting.
MOOT POINTS
Proposal to extend BWSSB jurisdiction
BMRDA to be strengthened; more townships planned
Sub-committee to monitor progress of individual wards
Environment-friendly road projects mooted
BIAAPA areas in focus
Branding exercise proposed, wherein civic agencies will come with ‘Namma Bengaluru’ tag