The Hindu 03.09.2013
Rs. 2,100-crore push to develop towns around city
In a move to decongest Bangalore city, the government is
drawing up an innovative urban development project for city cluster
development around Bangalore.
The project aims to
develop and upgrade eight city clusters around Bangalore to woo
investment and ease the load of the State capital at a cost of Rs. 2,100
crore with loan assistance from the Asian Development Bank.
Minister
for Urban Development Vinay Kumar Sorake told presspersons on Monday
that the project would cover eight towns — Nelamangala, Magadi, Anekal,
Bidadi, Dobbspet, Hoskote, Devanahalli and Harohalli.
Officials
said the objective was to attract investment in those clusters by
developing and upgrading them and “dispersing Bangalore investment” in
those areas.
The project envisages development of
infrastructure such as roads, water supply, drainages. The Public Works
Department has proposed to upgrade the ring road around these towns to
develop them as satellite towns.
He said a project is
under preparation for State-level heritage based urban development
programme with the assistance of the World Bank. Authorities have
preparing the detailed project report for estimating the cost.
Suburban rail
Meanwhile,
officials said detailed project report on phase-I of the Rs.
8,759-crore suburban rail system for Bangalore consisting of five
corridors, including from the city to Tumkur, Ramanagaram and Bangarpet,
would be completed “very soon”.
Officials said a
special purpose vehicle — Bangalore Suburban Rail Corporation — would be
set up for implementing the project, which is expected to ease
congestion in the city.
Mr. Sorake said a Rs.
1,760-crore project has been prepared to provide 24X7 water supply to
the entire corporation area of Belgaum, Gulbarga and Hubli-Dharwad
cities on PPP basis with World Bank assistance.
A pilot project was implemented in these three towns and it helped augmentation of water supply and checked pilferage.
Mr.
Sorake said that a project was under preparation for state-level
heritage-based urban development programme for Karnataka with World Bank
assistance.
He said a master plan would be prepared in phases to project the requirements of cities of Karnataka in the year 2040.
Workshops
would be conducted for corporators at the city and State-levels, Sorake
said, adding, ward committees and citizen fora would be set up to
create awareness among the people on funding in their areas and to
monitor quality of works undertaken there, he said.
The project aims to develop and upgrade eight city clusters around Bangalore to woo investment and ease the load on the city
It covers Nelamangala, Magadi, Anekal, Bidadi, Dobbspet, Hoskote, Devanahalli and Harohalli
Public Works Department has proposed to upgrade the ring road around these towns to develop them as satellite towns.