Governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj on Monday strongly criticised the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd and the BJP Government for improper design and numerous delays which are causing endless miseries to Bangaloreans everyday.
Speaking at the release of a Tourism Directory by the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Industry and Commerce, Bhardwaj said that who ever had designed the metro had done a ‘bad job’. “The Delhi Metro built the metro at a fast pace and made it underground which did not interrupt anyone. Here on an important road which goes to Mysore, you have to travel with a train over your head all the time. The road takes hours to clear and no work is being completed,” he said.
The Governor also criticised the previous government for allowing the rate of crime to increase as well as for allowing Bangalore to ‘wither away’ like an ‘unattended wife’. “It is the most staggered town in the state and has become almost like Mumbai. Lalbagh has not improved. There are no toilets. This is in spite of it being the best attraction in the city,” he said adding that you could not even see the city from the hill in Lalbagh due to illegal construction.
Bhardwaj said that he had recently undertaken a visit to Kodagu in order to judge the water situation in the Cauvery river. “Your water is in danger. You must ensure environment protection programmes are implemented. Coorg does not have any facilities for tourists. Not even for the Governor,” he said.
Also speaking on Monday, Tourism minister R V Deshpande said that tourism in the state had not progressed due to non-development of infrastructure. “We will bring a tourism policy next year after consultation with stakeholders,” he said.
The tourism directory is in two parts and is an collection of facts, photos and phone numbers of places in Karnataka, AP, Kerala, Goa and TN.