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The declared promises of major political parties in the run-up to the elections can be summed up thus:

• Classification and up gradation of roads in BBMP area covering the five administrative zones.

• Construction of new roads and improvement of arterial roads

• Completion of metro rail project on priority; new rail projects too, if necessary.

• Setting up of a single agency to cover all service providers such as water supply, transport, housing and power; and a special power generation unit, if feasible.

• Dedicated expressway of international standard to Bangalore International Airport.

• Improvement of living conditions in slums and new BBMP areas.

• Administrative changes, including setting up of a Metropolitan Planning Council.

• Involvement of Resident Welfare Associations in solving city’s problems.

• People-friendly tax regimes.

• Increased funds allocation for taking up the city’s development to solve traffic bottlenecks by stressing on PPP/BOT.

Before laying down priorities, let us have a look at the various projects under various governments in the past few years.

The fast track development of Bangalore, in fact, received a fillip during the S.M. Krishna regime. The Bangalore Agenda Task Force (BATF), which was set up with the representatives of State Government, industries, NGOs and other experts from select fields was the first step in democratising the development of Bangalore.

Though the BATF did not get continued patronage in the JD(S)-supported Dharam Singh Government, administrative steps were continued for completing the international airport project in Devanahalli, metro rail, ROR over the Hosur Road from Silk Board junction to Electronics City, flyovers/underpasses, peripheral ring road etc. the same prevailed during the Kumaraswamy coalition government rule. President’s Rule too pushed forward the core projects.

The International Airport in Devanahalli has been completed ahead of schedule and despite some last-minute hiccups, it has been thrown open for flights. Some connectivity problems continue but they are expected to be solved in due course. Construction of metro rail track is progressing but for land acquisition delays in respect of a couple of stretches mainly because of the election code handicaps.

Road development, flyover constructions and erection of under-passes are going on. Only the formation of residential colonies and allotment of sites are held up for technical / administrative reasons.

There are many areas relating to the growth and improvement of the city which the ever-suffering citizens expect the new popular government to tackle on priority.

Some of them are:

Development issues relating to the newly added municipalities and villages under the BBMP such as water supply, roads, drainages and civic amenities.

Satisfactory solution to the ‘Sakrama’ scheme for regularisation of irregular constructions, which has been kept in abeyance by the Governor.

Allotment of sites in the five newly identified housing layouts, viz., Dr. K.Shivaram Karanth layout, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda layout, Sri Devaraj Urs layout, Sri K.C.Reddy layout, and Sri S. Nijalingappa layout.

Solution to the proposed CVS (Capital Value-based property Tax).

In the above background of election promises of parties, expectations of the public, plans and programmes in the pipeline and the ever growing infrastructural needs of Bangalore city and suburbs, the new government will be compelled to take up a whole lot of developmental works in right earnest.

Possible prioritisation can be:

• Tackling of transport congestion, both short term and long term.

• Development works in new areas in BBMP such as roads, water supply, drainage, electricity supply etc.

• Resource mobilisation for supplementing the funds available under JNNURM by clearing the ‘Sakrama’ scheme and CVS with necessary modifications to remove hardships to the public.

• Expeditious work of metro rail.

• Administrative changes.

It may be too early to expect a fast track run by the new government. Yet, the needs of Bengaluru are genuine and extremely urgent.

Any delay can leave the city behind Hyderabad and Chennai, which in some respects, have already overtaken the garden city.

Let us wait and watch the restoration of pride of place to our beloved city — call it Silicon Valley or Bengaluru.

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