Saturday 14 June 2014

DRAFT DEVELOPMENT PLAN


At any conferences, seminars, discussions or at meetings the only statement that is commonly made is “Bangalore is the fastest growing city in the country, in Asia or in the World”.No doubt it is time that this is the fastest growing city, whether we should appreciate it or we should curse ourselves for this unwarranted ugly unplanned growth is a point that worries every one.So far all the plans, if any, have been totally flouted. No building byelaws have been followed; no law governing the growth has been respected. However with industries, multinational companies coming in, people from everywhere have found Bangalore to be their destination for earning their livelihood and thus Bangalore is growing. There has been unscientific growth all around, occupying the available land whether agricultural or non agricultural.There have been large scale encroachments on Government lands and the stage has reached when nothing can be done to set right the things.

Now Government has come out with a comprehensive development plan for the Metropolitan City of Bangalore through French consultancy services.  What are the guiding principles, if any, in this exercise involving crores of rupees is not known? One thing appears to have been disclosed is, it is a plan for the next ten years, i.e. till 2015.This so called ‘CDP 2015’ has been displayed by Bangalore Development Authority for Public viewing at the city’s youth centre viz. Yavanika. People are visiting in 100’s and 1000’s.A common man can hardly make out any thing.The maximum that a common man does at the exhibition is tries to find out, after a couple of hours searching, his place or his site. For what purpose this search is not known.

For a common man it is not possible to know about the ultimate purpose of the CDP. What the basic idea behind the plan and why for ten years!  Well, it is only for the planners to explain and convince the common man.What a common man in Bangalore wants is – good roads, jam free traffic movement, well organised and on scientific basis the city’s public transport system, open spaces and gardens, good school buildings, market places, adequate water supply, efficient drainage system and so on, and not just the plan for the next ten years of which one year is almost over.

Various major infrastructure works are in progress now. What is needed is the works are completed expeditiously as per schedule and not to talk or debate on future plan.Bangaloreans are aware of the slow pace of execution of the various infrastructure works like the International Airport, Metro rail, some flyovers etc.

What is required in the circumstance is that the authorities concerned should periodically give the status reports about the works in progress about the schemes already planned and are yet to be taken up.The delay in completion of the works affects the citizens and the business community.If there is a delay in completing the flyovers and the roads connected with those flyovers the shop keepers, business establishments have to face loses apart from inconvenience.

For any growth, planning is necessary but any such plan should be in the interest of the common man and for the benefit of the citizens.If the plan is made keeping in view the immediate need and executed in time and on schedule it would be more in the interest of a common man.

The CDP 2015 provides for large scale industrialization, large scale population influx from all over, without any indications of halting the expansion.If such planning continues we may all see the city of Bangalore with a radius of 100 Kms, i.e. Tumkur, Mysore, Kolar all becoming part of Bangalore City.No thought is given while preparing the present 2015 plan about the developments of other cities like Belgaum, Hubli-Dharwar, Mysore, Gulbarga and Mangalore.The other cities have been deprived of their basic needs and their developments.  Bangalore means the entire state or the state means Bangalore that is what a common man feels.

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