The model ward is on its way

The model ward is on its way



Monica JhaFirst Published : 09 Jul 2009 09:24:09 AM ISTLast Updated : 09 Jul 2009 09:32:22 AM IST
BANGALORE: The Agenda for Bengaluru Infrastructure Development (ABIDe) task force has zeroed in on Padmanabhanagar ward that falls under the Bangalore South Lok Sabha Constituency and is represented by Transport Minister R Ashok in the Assembly to be developed as a model ward.
ABIDe Vice-Chairman and MP, Bangalore South, Ananth Kumar, is said to have played a major role in the selection of Padmanabhanagar, which falls in his constituency, for the pilot project.
Under the project, Padmanabhanagar would be provided with all the civic amenities like 24X7 safe drinking water and power supply, improved sanitation and waste management services, well-surfaced roads, clean, clear and levelled footpaths, signages, street lights etc. For faster and safer transportation, slow moving vehicles would separated from fast traffic.
For a visible change in the area, ABIDe has also been contemplating on uniformity in the appearance of buildings in the area. For example, painting all the buildings in same colour could give it a uniform look. For this, opinions of residents would be considered.
Development of a model ward will help set-up examples that will help in further planning and execution.
The idea of developing a ward to have all the facilities is to have a visible change in the face of the city. Later,the same model would be replicated to have a model city.
The BBMP would be responsible for the project however co-ordination among all the civic bodies is crucial to ensure proper and effective implementation of plans. The project would be constantly monitored by ABIDE.
ABIDe had proposed to take up four wards and one ward was supposed to get all the facilities by January 2009.
Work on development of a model ward was supposed to start much earlier but was delayed first due to the parliamentary elections and then due to the preparations for the upcoming BBMP elections, said ABIDe member MN Sreehari.
Smallest unit The Chief Minister during a meeting with ministers and officials on June 17 agreed to the decentralisation of the city’s administration to ward-level.
Development of model wards as basic units of planning and execution was initially recommended during an ABIDe review meeting in October last year. This was part of ABIDe’s Plan Bengaluru 2020, which is a comprehensive, wardwise, integrated development plan for the city.
For identification of wards to be taken up for the project and to submit plans for developing model wards, a sub-committee headed by Minister for Transport R Ashok and Minister for Excise and BWSSB Katta Subramanya Naidu, was set up in October.
All the civic bodies like BBMP, BDA, BESCOM, BWSSB, BMTC,traffic police etc were supposed to submit their plans for development of a model ward. The BJP’s Namma Bengaluru Action Plan (NBAP 2012) to transform Bengaluru by2012 also declares the ward as the smallest unit of planning and BBMP would be responsible for developing a detailed development plan and budget for each ward annually.