The Hindu 28.01.2011
Draft urban development policy ready: Minister
Municipalika, a three-day international conference on good urban governance, begins
For cleaner cities: Minister for Urban Development S. Suresh Kumar and Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa looking at a garbage collection truck at the inauguration of Municipalika in Bangalore on Thursday. — Photo: V Sreenivasa Murthy
Karnataka is set to adopt a new urban development policy that has been prepared to take care of the State's urban development needs for the next 30 years, according to Urban Development Minister S. Suresh Kumar.
Participating at the inaugural session of ‘Municipalika', a three-day international conference and an exhibition on good urban governance for safe, healthy, green and smart cities, organised by the Good Governance India Foundation in association with the Union Government, here, Mr. Kumar said the draft policy would be brought up before the State Cabinet, either this week or next week, for approval.
Karnataka would become the first State in the country to have adopted a scientific urban development policy once the policy is approved by the Cabinet.
Discussions
The draft policy, which was prepared a few months ago, had been placed for discussion at several cities to elicit feedback from general public and experts. Now, a final draft had been prepared after modifying the policy by incorporating the changes suggested by the public.
Listing the salient features of the proposed policy, he said this aimed at planning various aspects of urban development such as industrial, commercial and residential development, besides taking care of infrastructure necessities such as drinking water. “The policy would reverse the present trend of infrastructure following the growth, by ensuring that infrastructure triggers growth,” he remarked.
The proposed policy would also apply to some of the areas in Bangalore city though it comes under the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, he said.
Inaugurating the seminar, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa stressed the need for adopting green technologies while implementing development projects.
The new projects should focus on reducing carbon footprints, he said while indicating that they should be in harmony with nature.
In all, about 700 delegates from 125 cities and towns from the country are participating in the event. Mayors from 40 municipal corporations and commissioners from 30 cities too are attending the event in which about 60 national international experts are making presentations.
U.S. Department of Energy's Senior Executive Mark Ginsberg, Bangalore Mayor S. K. Nataraj, Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development Department, Subir Hari Singh, Municipal Administration Directorate Commissioner Anjum Parwez and V. Suresh, convenor of Municipalika, were present.
