The Hindu : Karnataka News : Law to speed up roadworks under study

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 09, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Law to speed up roadworks under study

By Our Staff Reporter

The Minister for Public Works, H.D. Revanna (right), inspecting the work on Bannerghatta Road in Bangalore on Wednesday. — Photo: K. Murali Kumar

BANGALORE, DEC. 8. The Public Works Department was planning an enactment, emulating Andhra Pradesh, to speed up the work of road widening in Bangalore and to frame a policy on planning roads and infrastructure that would look at the traffic needs 20 years ahead, the Public Works Minister, H.D. Revanna, said here today.

The department has roped in the private sector in developing, improving and maintaining roads in Bangalore and the rest of the State.

It got three real estate developers, Mantri Housing, Adarsh and Prestige to commit Rs. 17 crores for repairing or relaying Bannerghatta and Sarjapur roads in Bangalore.

The Rs. 34-crore project has the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike pitching in with Rs. 3 crores and the department will foot the remaining bill.

Mr. Revanna, who spoke to presspersons today after inspecting Bannerghatta Road and Airport Road (from Kundalahalli Cross to Satyasai Ashrama) and assessed the progress of road improvement works, said many information technology sector players were now keen to participate in infrastructure development in other parts of the State as well.

Infrastructure

The Secretary, Public Works, Prahlad B. Mahishi, said the department was keen to have a blueprint for infrastructure development with a holistic approach.

"Having only flyovers is a bad idea. We need to have a combination of flyovers, wider roads and work out the details with other agencies such as Bangalore Mahanagara Palike and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board," Mr. Mahishi said.

Mr. Revanna gave details of 10 roads (a total of 90 km) identified for improvement on a priority basis in Bangalore at a cost of Rs. 88 crores.

It had been recommended by the committee chaired by K.C. Reddy, adviser to the Public Works Minister, which examined the memorandum of understanding signed between the Government and the private sector to improve some of the roads in the IT corridor.

The four-km stretch on Bannerghatta Road where laying of bitumen, drainage work and median and kerb laying work is in progress, was shared with Mantri Housing.

A 4.6 km stretch on Sarjapur Road and the 8.27 km stretch on Airport Road from Kundalahalli to Sathyasai Ashram were being done with help from the other developers.

Mr. Revanna said the companies had been involved at every stage of the project, including design, technology, and the assessment of what needed attention.

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