rain in karnataka
As Bengaluru reels under extensive rain damage and residents face huge inconvenience, former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader S.M. Krishna said that the scenario in the city threatens ‘Brand Bengaluru’, which can hit investments eventually.
“The rain damage has caused anxiety in Bengaluru that is among the fastest growing cities in the world. It has threatened ‘Brand Bengaluru’ image that may send a wrong message to investors who may take their investments to other States, thus affecting the development of Karnataka,” Mr. Krishna wrote in a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Recalling his tenure as the Chief Minister from 1999-2004, Mr. Krishna said, “The result of focusing on the IT sector during my tenure resulted in creation of jobs for lakhs of youth and led to creation of a parallel to the Silicon Valley of California. Since then, Bengaluru has grown four times and contributes half of the budget size of the State.”
Stressing the need to have a long term vision to protect ‘Brand Bengaluru’, he said that certain strong steps are required. Mr. Krishna said it is important to revive Bengaluru Agenda Task Force and come out with a blue print with a long term vision. “On a war footing, set up a technical team comprising officials to develop UGD systems in the newly added areas and manage raja kaluves (storm water drains) before the arrival of monsoon,” he said.
Mr. Krishna, who helmed the State as a Congress chief minister, said that pressure on Bengaluru should be reduced by developing Mysuru, Tumakuru and Hubballi for industrial development. The upgradation of Bengaluru-Mysuru national highway into a 10-lane highway will create opportunities to develop Mysuru. He urged the Chief Minister to take into confidence MPs and MLAs in Bengaluru, identify problems zone wise and address the problems within a time frame.
He also urged the Chief Minister to seek suggestions from all party leaders for the development of the State.
Chief Minister reacts
Responding to the letter, the Chief Minister said, “I will definitely take his advice seriously and in the right spirit. We know the concern he has for Bengaluru. A lot of good work happened during his time.”
He further told mediapersons, “Now the population has increased many fold and the challenges are huge. We have expanded the city to include several new areas, including 110 villages. These areas do not have a drainage system and drinking water connection.”
Mr. Bommai said that digging up roads is inevitable to provide all the amenities. “These villages come with their own baggage of problems. We need to provide better connectivity and decongest Bengaluru to solve various issues,” he said.
