The Hindu : Buses, roads dominate day one

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 29, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Buses, roads dominate day one

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, JAN. 28. Water supply and underground drainage (UGD) connections for over 16 lakh citizens in 27 new wards, 93 improved road junctions, work on two flyovers, and a road under bridge (RUB) for traffic decongestion, and IT- initiatives for better governance - were some of the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP)'s projects in the past year.

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) however focused on getting better infrastructure, reforming administration and introducing commuter-friendly 68 vestibule, 48 low-floor, and 74 mini buses.

The heads of the two organisations began the Bangalore Agenda Task Force's (BATF) pre-summit discussions here on Wednesday by reeling out statistics.

The BMP Commissioner, M.R. Sreenivas Murthy, said it had awarded contracts for developing over 976 km. of roads (out of 1,500 km. identified for upgradation) and four km. of seven km. had already been cement concreted.

Besides, 52 modern toilets on the lines of "Nirmala Bangalore" were commissioned and one-stop citizen service centres set up to issue khatas, birth and death certificates, and to accept property tax, he said.

A Rs. 137-crore project to install water supply and underground Drainage (UGD) lines in all 100 BMP wards was almost over and work in 10 wards would be inaugurated shortly, he said.

To improve city slums, the BMP would provide them amenities through appropriate housing schemes.

They had sanctioned Rs. seven crore for water supply, roads, and other infrastructure in 21 slums and tenders for roads and streetlights had been invited and the project would be over by August 2004.

The road under bridge (RUB) in Frazer Town was ready and they were remodelling the old under bridge there, he said. Work on the National College flyover and Rajajinagar grade separator was underway while projects such as an underpass at the Modi Hospital junction and South End Circle would be inaugurated soon, he said.

Tenders for two integrated waste processing sites and landfills at Kannahalli and Kyalasahalli were ready.

"The BMP has acquired land for a scientific landfill at Mavallipura and sought 300 acres of land in Mundur," the BMP Commissioner said.

It had developed over 150 parks and finalised the design for a proposed Freedom Park.

Besides, a panel of Project Management Consultants had been formed and a tradable FAR (Floor Area Ratio) policy for road widening and construction of modern crematoria finalised, he said.

BMTC lists achievements

The Managing Director of BMTC, Upendra Tripathi, said the corporation had built a bus station in Shantinagar; commissioned new depots at Rajarajeshwarinagar, Peenya, and Kalyananagar and brought in IT initiatives for good governance.

It would put up ticket-issuing kiosks at prominent places and people would soon be able to buy "e-cards" to commute in the city, he said.

Some 233-old buses were off the road, 10 `Nirmala type' toilets built at bus stations and they issued bus passes online, had "rainbow schemes" for regular commuters, 50 night services, route patrols called "Sarathi", non-stop services and bio-fuel vehicles, he said.

The BMTC planned more bus stations at Kavalbyrasandra, Austin Town, and Chennammana Kere Achakut and new depots at Saneguruvanahalli, HSR Layout, and Yeshwanthpur.

These would be ready by March 2004, he said and added that a recent Public Affairs Centre report gave BMTC topmost rating with regard to citizens' satisfaction.

The top officials of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd., Bangalore Development Authority and Bangalore Electricity Supply Company will present their report cards on Thursday.

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