Will industry chip in for better Bengaluru?

Bengaluru: Though cynics may have a point in saying that the formation of the Bengaluru Blueprint Advisory Group (BBAG) is just another publicity gimmick adopted by those currently in power, the condition of the IT city is so bad that unless current issues are addressed and future plans not drawn up, the city may see a mass exodus.

The traffic has become unbearable, the roads are back breaking, garbage mounds are present all around, pollution is killing everyone, the lakes have degenerated, the ground water has become poisonous and new localities are witnessing haphazard development.  “Precisely for these reasons we need sub-groups which have expertise in different areas to work towards short term and long term solutions,” said a member of this group.

He also said that since Master Plan 2015 has ceased to exist, the group will look at the new CDP with a whole new vision of making Bengaluru a world class city.  “With industry heavyweights demanding that things be set right before it gets worse, they have now an opportunity to contribute rather than just complain,’’ said another member of the group who hoped that the presence of N.R. Narayanamurthy, Azim Premji and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw among others will give the body  credence and their advice will be taken seriously.

Though the state government had decided to form a vision group in 2014, it was stopped in its tracks after a writ petition was filed in the high court for not including Metropolitan Planning Committee, which has corporators and residents as its members and a stay was issued. Later in 2015, the HC vacated the stay paving way for formation of the vision group.

Around the same time Janaagraha had floated the idea of Bengaluru Blueprint backed by NRN among other prominent Bengalureans.

“A meeting was held on December 21 at the urban development ministry and another meeting involving activists, NGOs and various organizations on December 26 to finalize the action group,’’ sources said.

The GO clearly states that the BBAG has been authorized to hold meetings, draw up plans to improve the quality of life, infrastructure, governance and e-governance, bring in administrative reforms, suggest ways to mobilize resources and rope in private companies for PPP projects. It has also been given powers for supervision of projects, call for meetings of stake holders and maintain records. The Bengaluru Development Authority(BDA) will be footing the expenses of BBPAG including the cost of running the office.

No mayor, a big surprise
The GO has its share of controversy too. While the Mayor is the first citizen of this city, he has been blissfully left out in the list of members of BBAG! A source in the government told the paper that as an elected representative, he should be there up in the list prominently. ''His absence is conspicuous and casts aspersions on the very formation of this group,’’ he said. Going back to the High Court order on the stay on the vision group, he said the ground for the stay was non-inclusion of MPC. ''Again the MPC has been left out raising concerns about another petition landing in the court,’’ he said adding that an ineffective MPC might have prompted the government to leave them out.